Travel Impacts of Mixed Land Use Neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington

Abstract

In response to suburban transportation problems, developers and planners have suggested that mixing land uses can reduce automobile dependency by making more goods and services available within walking, biking, and short driving distances. This view has resulted in a neotraditional planning movement that promotes neighborhoods designed with traditional characteristics including a mix of land uses. However, few studies have empirically explored the transportation implications for these neighborhoods. This issue is addressed by using a travel diary collected in three greater Seattle area neighborhoods characterized by neotraditional neighborhood elements including mixed land use. These data were compared with those collected in an identical diary from individuals throughout the region. It was found that residents of the mixed land use study neighborhoods in Seattle traveled 28 percent fewer kilometers (miles) than residents in adjacent areas and up to 120 percent fewer kilometers than residents in suburban areas. This trend of lower travel distances held across different socioeconomic characteristics. However, the differences in travel distances among the areas were not seen when travel time was considered. The daily travel time was about 90 min/person (including walking), regardless of where that person lived and that person’s socioeconomic status. One implication of this finding is that if a neotraditional neighborhood development does make shopping and other chores less time-consuming, there may simply be more time in the travel budget for additional regional travel. This suggests that travel from the neotraditional neighborhoods needs to be examined in a regional context.

Revealing the Varying Impact of Urban Built Environment on Online Car-Hailing Travel in Spatio-Temporal Dimension: An Exploratory Analysis in Chengdu, China

“…Figure 6a reveals that land-use mix has a strong positive effect on online car-hailing travel, especially in the southeast region, that is, there is more online car-hailing travel in the areas with a high degree of land-use mix. However, this finding is inconsistent with previous studies investigated by Cervero (1996), Mccormack et al (2001), Munishi (2016), Yin Chaoying (2018), Xie Weihan (2018) and others, who recognized land-use mix as an effective strategy to reduce car travel by incorporating sufficient living facilities (e.g., presence of offices, residences, retail, and other uses) [7,19,[34][35][36]. Chunxi Road, a famous commercial zone in Chengdu, has a high level of land-use mix with numerous shopping stores, recreational facilities, office buildings, residential buildings, a hospital, etc.…”

Smart Technology Impact on Neighborhood Form for a Sustainable Doha

“…Many studies have suggested that improving the quality of life in urban neighborhoods, for example, by promoting mixed land-use, establishing walking communities, developing a sense of place, and encouraging attractive communities, tends to create a harmoniously built environment for citizens [2,3]. Cho and Rodríguez [11] analyzed the relationship between the location of the neighborhood, its built environment, and walking for various purposes.…”

“…Feedback from the respondents suggests that the terms 'compact' and 'dense' need to be clearly defined. Three participants (2,3,7) affirmed that the 'compact' city is the only feasible form for a sustainable city.…”

“…The physical forms and density of neighborhoods have been largely impacted by their land ownership regulations, transportation, and communication methods [1]. Various previous research findings suggest that life quality in neighborhoods can be improved by, for example, planning and developing mixed land use, establishing integrated communities with increased walkability needs and opportunities, promoting a sense of belonging, and encouraging attractive and participatory communities [2,3]. Additionally, the integration of advanced or smart technologies in the field of transportation and communications may lead to the reconsideration of some of the concepts of sustainable urban forms [4], so that neighborhoods in low-density cities like Doha, Qatar can become both sustainable and livable, creating the basis for a sustainable city.…”

Relationship between Rural Built Environment and Household Vehicle Ownership: An Empirical Analysis in Rural Sichuan, China

“…Ewing et al [21] and Hong et al [25] found that road network density is also negatively correlated with household car ownership; however, the effect of design on car ownership is weaker than the effects of density and diversity [26]. Destination accessibility is a built environment index at the regional level and generally includes distance to central business district (CBD) and job accessibility [27,28]. Empirical studies have shown that vehicle ownership decreases with distance to CBD [20,29].…”