Assessing the Effects of Highway-widening Improvements on Urban and Suburban Areas


Book Description

This synthesis will be of interest to highway environmental specialists (particularly those concerned with assessing social and economic impacts), design engineers, planners, utility managers, and others responsible for the planning, design, and implementation of highway-widening improvements. Information is presented on the reasons for highway-widening projects, the nature of the projects, and the methods and practices for application of analytical techniques used to measure the potential or actual impacts of the projects on people and the physical environment. Mitigation measures are also discussed. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes the most recent widening projects as reported by states or other transportation agencies, as well as the most frequently encountered issues in highway widening. Selected examples of widening projects are included, as is some recognition of the need for additional information and research in the areas of social and economic impact measurement.




Impact of Highways on Property Values


Book Description

This report examined the effects of freeway development on land use and property values. A case study was prepared for the Superstition Freeway (US60) corridor in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona. Among the findings were the following observations: New freeways provide substantial benefits to users in the form of travel time savings and reductions in costs associated with operating motor vehicles. Access benefits are transferred from highway users to non-users through changes in property values. Freeway construction may have an adverse impact on some properties, but in the aggregate, property values tend to increase with freeway development. Not all property values are affected by freeways in the same way. Proximity to the freeway was observed to have a negative effect on the value of detached single-family homes in the US60 corridor, but to have a positive effect on multifamily residential developments (e.g., condominiums) and most commercial properties. The most important factor in determining negative impact on property values appears to be the level of traffic on any major roads in the proximate area, which implies that regional traffic growth is more significant than the presence of a freeway per se. Given the beneficial effects of freeway development on the value of certain types of properties, local governments may benefit from appropriate planning and zoning decisions in the vicinity of a freeway corridor.




Strong Towns


Book Description

A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Inside, you’ll learn why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles—and why it just doesn’t work. New development and high-risk investing don’t generate enough wealth to support itself, and cities continue to struggle. Read this book to find out how cities large and small can focus on bottom-up investments to minimize risk and maximize their ability to strengthen the community financially and improve citizens’ quality of life. Develop in-depth knowledge of the underlying logic behind the “traditional” search for never-ending urban growth Learn practical solutions for ameliorating financial struggles through low-risk investment and a grassroots focus Gain insights and tools that can stop the vicious cycle of budget shortfalls and unexpected downturns Become a part of the Strong Towns revolution by shifting the focus away from top-down growth toward rebuilding American prosperity Strong Towns acknowledges that there is a problem with the American approach to growth and shows community leaders a new way forward. The Strong Towns response is a revolution in how we assemble the places we live.







Effect of Highway Landscape Development on Nearby Property


Book Description

Data were collected and disturbances were measured to determine the effects of physical disturbances by limited access highways on nearby property values. 3 types of analyses were made on the collected data: major-variable analysis, economic analysis, and interview analysis. In the major-variable analysis, relationships and correlations were examined between sound levels and sound level reductions at specific measurement points, and other variables such as sound level perception, present tree diversity, and homeowners' attitudes of buying another house next to the highway. The economic analysis evaluated the effect of highway disturbances and landscape/landforms on property values. The interview analysis was used to evaluate specific complaints or disturbances.







Transforming Cities with Transit


Book Description

'Transforming Cities with Transit' explores the complex process of transit and land-use integration and provides policy recommendations and implementation strategies for effective integration in rapidly growing cities in developing countries.










Social and Economic Effects of Highways


Book Description