FINAL EXAM Flashcards
Early measures of sprawl distinguished sprawl from compact development in one or two dimensions. What was one of them?
Density or fragmentation
The most widely used sprawl metrics distinguish sprawl from compact development in four dimensions. What are they?
Density
Mix of uses
Centeredness
Street connectivity
LA is the densest urbanized area in the U.S. Does that mean it is the most compact, measured in all four dimensions?
It is a little more compact than average for MSAs (metropolitan statistical area)
From the empirical literature, compact development outperforms sprawl in multiple respects (better outcomes) covered in my lecture. What are three of them?
More walking and transit use
Less obesity
More upward mobility
From the empirical literature, sprawling development outperforms compact development in two respects (better outcomes). What are they?
Less expensive housing
More racial integration
There are two common economic justifications for public intervention in private markets, including intervention in land development markets. What are they?
(1) Increase market efficiency by correcting market imperfections/failures
(2) Increase social equity by redistributing income from high to low income
Both of these–correcting market failures and the redistribution of income–relate to efforts in to contain sprawl. Explain.
Sprawl is a result primarily of market imperfections; Sprawl (low density suburbs) exclude low income households
In approaching the issue of sprawl (and its negative externalities), economists want to get the “prices right.” Planners want to get the “___________________” right.
Land uses
Many policy makers believe the main existential threat facing the planet is climate change. (The only comparable existential threat is nuclear war.) How and why does containing sprawl address the former threat?
It reduces vehicle miles traveled, and every VMT produces about a pound of CO2, the principal greenhouse gas
- California’s ground breaking SB 743, changes the way traffic impacts of development are measured/predicted under CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act). The change is from _____________ to ______________?
LOS to VMT
How does the change from LOS to VMT relate to the debate over compact development vs. sprawl?
The change will tend to encourage compact development and discourage sprawl – LOS, by making it possible to go faster, makes it possible to go farther – VMT, on the other hand, is 20 to 40 percent lower with compact development than with sprawl
Which of the following goals of land use and transportation planning was once considered most important by nearly every transportation planner (circle one)?
a. Auto-mobility
b. Multi-modal mobility
c. Accessibility
d. Livability
e. Sustainability
a. Auto-mobility
What goal of the Biden Administration is missing from the list in Question 1 (Auto-mobility, Multi-modal mobility, Accessibility, Livability, Sustainability)?
Equity
Which state was the first to adopt multi-modal measures of mobility?
Florida
In what way does a higher roadway LOS translate into lower levels of bicycle and pedestrian LOS?
Speeding cars make bicycling and walking less comfortable and safe
What makes accessibility a broader and more important goal than mobility? (Hint: It is suggested by the name of this course.)
It incorporates land use as well as transportation – you can increase accessibility by bringing households closer to activities through land use planning for compact development - you can also increase accessibility by making it faster and easier to get around, as with transit improvements (recall the San Francisco accessibility example from lecture 2
There are five “bibles” of transportation engineering and conventional transportation planning. What are three of them? By bibles, I mean fundamental books of guidelines, regulations, rules, and procedures.
ITE Trip Generation Manual
AASHTO Green Book
Highway Capacity Manual
FHA MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices)
ITE Parking Generation Manual
Level of service A (LOS A) represents free flowing, high speed traffic. From a climate standpoint, is there a problem with that, and if so, what might it be? If not, why not?
(1) if cars can drive faster than can drive farther which adds to VMT and GHGs
(2) stop and go traffic uses more gas per vehicle mile which also produces more GHGs – this latter factor is less important than the former factor
From Don Appleyard’s classic book Livable Streets”, name one characteristic that his survey research shows is not particularly important to neighborhood residents.
Easy of get around by car (auto-mobility)
Name three characteristics of neighborhoods that rank higher according to Appleyard.
Close to shops (accessibility)
Walking conditions (mobility)
Peaceful and quiet (livability)
By far the most common measure of sustainability in regional transportation plans (RTPs) is:
VMT
From Pendall’s article “Do Land-Use Controls Cause Sprawl?”, name one common local government measure that appears to contain sprawl and briefly explain why is does.
Adequate public facility ordinance and by extension impact fees; they pass the cost of pubic infrastructure and services on to developers, who then build at higher densities to economize on land which contains sprawl
What was the main point of Lecture 2?
A paradigm shift is occurring from a focus on roadway LOS to broader measures of land use/transportation performance
What are adequate public facilities ordinances (APFOs)? How do they, and by extension impact fees, encourage higher density?
They require adequate public services and facilities to be in place before more development is approved – They encourage higher density by increasing the cost of development
From the monocentric model, we know that as land prices rise, developers use less land and more capital to produce housing, with a resulting rise in density
Name two characteristics of a better street connectivity (There are many possible correct answers).
Intersection density
Percent four-way intersections
Link-node ratio
Miles of road per square mile of area
Average block size
Average block length
What is a TAD, and what is the difference between a TAD and a TOD?
Transit adjacent development – in its design, TOD is transit-oriented while TAD is auto-oriented
True or false: Orenco Station on the Portland Westside Max Line is a good example of a TOD.
True – it may be the best example in the suburbs
The Florida Department of Community Affairs funded the research and writing of Best Development Practices. What was its purpose?
To distinguish sprawling subdivisions from compact mixed-use and mix-housing new communities and new towns
The book promoted 43 best practices for development of master planned communities. Name two best practices discussed in class.
(1) Achieve an average net residential density of six to seven units per acre (without the appearance of crowding).
(2) Mix land uses at the finest grain the market will bear and include civic uses in the mix.
(3) Place higher density and senior housing near commercial centers, transit lines, and community facilities.
(4) Design the street network with multiple connections and relatively direct routes.
A short version of the book was published by EPA’s Smart Growth Network. I am providing a copy of that book on Canvas for your library. The book has three best housing practices that relate to housing affordability:
Practice 5: Supply affordable single-family homes for moderate-income households.
Practice 6: Supply affordable multifamily and accessory housing for low-income households.
Practice 7: Tap government housing programs to broaden and deepen the housing/income mix.
What factor or factors work against affordability in many master planned communities?
Master planned communities are highly amenitized (lots of public and open space, for example) and hence from the standpoints of both housing supply and demand, tend to command higher rents and house prices.
