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• 1. [Article] Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia

  Suburban multifamily housing is an often overlooked housing typology that is the fasted growing housing market in the country and holds strong potential for achieving smart growth goals in suburbia. This ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia Author: Larco, Nico Year: 2010 Suburban multifamily housing is an often overlooked housing typology that is the fasted growing housing market in the country and holds strong potential for achieving smart growth goals in suburbia. This housing type is ubiquitous throughout all regions in the nation, is a widespread example of density in suburbia, and is typically located next to commercial uses. The proximity between suburban multifamily housing and commercial uses creates the potential for nodes of concentrated activity, mixed use, and the possibility of substantial non-auto transport in suburbia. While this potential exists, the design of this housing type often follows an enclaved pattern of development, negating any synergy, minimizing the possibility of non-auto transport, and denying any potential for sustainable development. Through case studies of suburban multifamily development in Oregon, Arizona, Florida, and Massachusetts, this report looks at the specific ways in which regulation, typical development practice, and design culture have shaped the current pattern of suburban multifamily development. Each case study includes graphic analysis of physical development patterns, interviews with planners, architects, property managers and developers who worked on the case study projects, regulatory analysis of case study jurisdictions, and surveys of residents. Title: Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia Author: Larco, Nico Year: 2010 Suburban multifamily housing is an often overlooked housing typology that is the fasted growing housing market in the country and holds strong potential for achieving smart growth goals in suburbia. This housing type is ubiquitous throughout all regions in the nation, is a widespread example of density in suburbia, and is typically located next to commercial uses. The proximity between suburban multifamily housing and commercial uses creates the potential for nodes of concentrated activity, mixed use, and the possibility of substantial non-auto transport in suburbia. While this potential exists, the design of this housing type often follows an enclaved pattern of development, negating any synergy, minimizing the possibility of non-auto transport, and denying any potential for sustainable development. Through case studies of suburban multifamily development in Oregon, Arizona, Florida, and Massachusetts, this report looks at the specific ways in which regulation, typical development practice, and design culture have shaped the current pattern of suburban multifamily development. Each case study includes graphic analysis of physical development patterns, interviews with planners, architects, property managers and developers who worked on the case study projects, regulatory analysis of case study jurisdictions, and surveys of residents. Close

• 2. [Article] Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia, Phase II

  Comprising over 9 million units in this country, suburban multifamily housing is a widespread and overlooked example of density located within walking distance to commercial development in suburbia. This ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia, Phase II Author: Larco, Nico Year: 2011 Comprising over 9 million units in this country, suburban multifamily housing is a widespread and overlooked example of density located within walking distance to commercial development in suburbia. This report focuses on resident demographics, attitudes, and perceptions as they relate to mode choice in 14 suburban multifamily sites in Eugene, Oregon. Through site analysis and resident surveys, our study shows that site design and connectivity is a significant predictor of resident mode choice. Residents of more-connected developments walk and bike to their local commercial area for more than 40% of their trips, nearly twice the rate of residents of less-connected developments. The greater use of active transportation versus auto transport in well-connected developments has potential environmental benefits of reductions in green house gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and gas consumption and the health benefits of increases in exercise and calorie burning, and the social benefits of increases in independence of elderly and youth populations. Quantifying the degree to which site design, and specifically connectivity, makes a difference in residents’ mode choice is a first step to increasing the amount of active transportation in these areas. The results of this research provide planners and designers a basis for reevaluating suburban multifamily site design and zoning codes. Title: Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia, Phase II Author: Larco, Nico Year: 2011 Comprising over 9 million units in this country, suburban multifamily housing is a widespread and overlooked example of density located within walking distance to commercial development in suburbia. This report focuses on resident demographics, attitudes, and perceptions as they relate to mode choice in 14 suburban multifamily sites in Eugene, Oregon. Through site analysis and resident surveys, our study shows that site design and connectivity is a significant predictor of resident mode choice. Residents of more-connected developments walk and bike to their local commercial area for more than 40% of their trips, nearly twice the rate of residents of less-connected developments. The greater use of active transportation versus auto transport in well-connected developments has potential environmental benefits of reductions in green house gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and gas consumption and the health benefits of increases in exercise and calorie burning, and the social benefits of increases in independence of elderly and youth populations. Quantifying the degree to which site design, and specifically connectivity, makes a difference in residents’ mode choice is a first step to increasing the amount of active transportation in these areas. The results of this research provide planners and designers a basis for reevaluating suburban multifamily site design and zoning codes. Close

• 3. [Article] Disseminating the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) Education Model

  The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Disseminating the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) Education Model Author: Larco, Nico, Schlossberg, Marc Year: 2016 The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ways to advance a new era of transportation goals. Named the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), the model links local community priorities (as expressed through local plans and city council goals) with courses from a range of disciplines at a nearby university. The UO program engages 500+ multidisciplinary students annually in providing 60,000+ hours of work to city-identified projects using the existing administrative systems of both universities and local communities. This NITC technology transfer project assisted in the national dissemination of the SCYP model through a specific set of strategies and resources. These tools included turning training content into webinars and videos to communicate content virtually, disseminating training content through targeted on-site events, hosting a national training conference, and creating a searchable catalog platform of transportation projects from all the programs now running a version of SCYP at their universities. This project has catalyzed the creation of three new programs specifically (University of South Florida, University of Colorado Denver, and Western Washington University) and has provide helpful tools that have significantly increased the capacity of universities to access high-quality SCYP training material for their own future program development. Title: Disseminating the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) Education Model Author: Larco, Nico, Schlossberg, Marc Year: 2016 The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ways to advance a new era of transportation goals. Named the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), the model links local community priorities (as expressed through local plans and city council goals) with courses from a range of disciplines at a nearby university. The UO program engages 500+ multidisciplinary students annually in providing 60,000+ hours of work to city-identified projects using the existing administrative systems of both universities and local communities. This NITC technology transfer project assisted in the national dissemination of the SCYP model through a specific set of strategies and resources. These tools included turning training content into webinars and videos to communicate content virtually, disseminating training content through targeted on-site events, hosting a national training conference, and creating a searchable catalog platform of transportation projects from all the programs now running a version of SCYP at their universities. This project has catalyzed the creation of three new programs specifically (University of South Florida, University of Colorado Denver, and Western Washington University) and has provide helpful tools that have significantly increased the capacity of universities to access high-quality SCYP training material for their own future program development. Close