published journal article

Tools of the Trade? Assessing the Progress of Accessibility Measures for Planning Practice

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings:
A growing number of planning researchers and practitioners argue for a shift from mobility-centered transportation planning to an accessibility-focused one. Accessibility is a compelling concept that has proven more difficult to operationalize than mobility, which helps to explain why so many accessibility metrics have been developed for urban research and planning practice. To assess the state of these metrics, we reviewed 54 of them in light of their theoretical basis, data requirements, units of analysis, travel modes and trip purposes accounted for, and potential applications to planning practice. We also reviewed the substantial literature on accessibility measurement and interviewed planning practitioners who are applying accessibility metrics in practice. We find that accessibility theory and measurement have advanced more rapidly than applications in practice. However, a new generation of tools is emerging that may accelerate the move to accessibility planning. Although many of the measures focus on a single travel mode, the number of multimodal metrics is growing. Most of the measures are designed for regional-scale planning and scenario evaluation; only a few to date are intended for project evaluation.

Takeaway for practice:
The 54 accessibility metrics and tools we reviewed vary widely and none stands out as obviously superior for planning practice. Although most calculate the accessibility of places, and many do so reasonably well, we see the most promise in measures of the accessibility of travelers, which can then be aggregated for place-based analyses while still shedding light on how access can vary substantially across different types of travelers. The principal challenge to broadly deploying accessibility analyses in practice in the years ahead is in developing measures that meaningfully measure the many salient dimensions of access, have manageable data requirements, and are understandable to planners, public officials, and community members.

other

Is Accessibility Evaluation Ready for Prime Time?

website

Bulldozing Asian Communities: Freeway Construction and Urban Renewal in Stockton

research report

Evaluating Place-based Transportation Plans

Abstract

The paper asks how place-based transportation plans are being evaluated, and what insights from the broader policy and plan evaluation research literature might inform evaluation design. We complement a review of the evaluation literature with six expert interviews with 15 people. We find that California agencies and their community partners have high expectations for evaluations of place-based transportation plans. So far, however, those evaluations have been less successful in providing detailed information on outcomes and the causal impact of interventions. This does not reflect the shortcomings of the evaluation teams, but rather the inherent challenges in holistically assessing a diverse set of projects on different implementation timelines in a project area with porous boundaries. There is also a fundamental difficulty with the evaluation scale. California’s place-based transportation plans have often been evaluated individually. But in general, evaluations, particularly quantitative causal inference methods, are most effective with a larger number of projects or sites. We suggest a two-pronged approach to addressing the tensions that we identify between place-specific knowledge and generalizable conclusions. The first prong, at the site level, would emphasize process evaluations and assessment of outputs and outcomes. The second prong would focus on impacts across multiple sites and the extent to which place-based transportation programs have a causal role.

policy brief

What Does the Prevalence of Telecommuting Mean for Urban Planning?

Publication Date

January 6, 2024

Author(s)

Alex Okashita, Harold Arzate, Jae Hong Kim

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, are looking into what may become the “new normal” in work and work-related travel and the consequences that could have on traffic conditions, efforts to address climate change, and the future of our urban areas, as well as our daily lives. They find, for instance, that current research is largely equivocal about the consequences of telecommuting on where individuals choose to live, their day-to-day travel, and urban/metropolitan development. Equally unclear is how increased telecommuting may impact efforts to create more sustainable and inclusive communities. In light of this uncertainty, they suggest planners and researchers need to pay more attention to the changing nature of urban commuting and how it can play an important role in shaping a more desirable future.

policy brief

Going Nowhere Fast: Why Personal Travel is Down Across the U.S.

Publication Date

April 1, 2023

Author(s)

Samuel Speroni, Brian D. Taylor, Mark Garrett

Abstract

After a century of almost continuous growth in vehicle travel in the U.S., the first decades of the 21st century saw vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita fall slightly, from 9,963 in 2003 to 9,937 in 2019. While some of the decline can be attributed to the Great Recession of 2007-2010, VMT did not fully rebound following the economic recovery. A much slower recovery from the recession among young people, more stringent driver’s licensing rules, rising preferences for dense urban living, high gas prices, an aging population, rising environmentalism, and the near saturation of vehicle ownership1 have all been proffered as possible explanations, but these don’t tell the whole story. In a new study, researchers at Clemson University and the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies suggest we may be seeing a fundamental change in the demand for out-of-home activities that drive vehicle travel. Using data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) collected between 2003 and 2019, the authors propose that the fundamental cause of declining per capita travel time is an underlying reduction in the demand for out-of-home activities, driven in part by spectacular advancements in information and communications technology

research report

Telecommuting and the Open Future

Publication Date

January 6, 2024

Author(s)

Alex Okashita, Harold Arzate, Jae Hong Kim

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated renewed interest in how telecommuting can alter the workings of cities and regions, but there is little guidance on how to align planning practice with the new reality. This report synthesizes the research on telecommuting and its consequences to help planners better understand what effects may occur from the proliferation of telecommuting and what lessons can be drawn from research findings. Emphasis is on the broad relevance of telecommuting to many domains of planning, including housing, land use, community development, and inclusive place-making, while attention is paid to changes in travel demand, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and greenhouse gas emissions. The research suggests that telecommuting can occur in a variety of ways, and its impacts are largely dependent not only on the type/schedule of telecommuting but also on the built environment, transit accessibility, and other amenities/opportunities the location provides. The varying impacts reported in the research can be seen as an encouragement for planners to actively create a better future rather than merely responding to the rise of telecommuting. Given the breadth of telecommuting’s impacts, systematic coordination across various planning domains will be increasingly important. This report also calls for collaboration across cities to guide the ongoing transformation induced by telecommuting not in a way that leads to more residential segregation but in a way that provides more sustainable and inclusive communities.

policy brief

3 PM Is the New 5 PM: Post-Pandemic Travel Patterns in Southern California Are Shifting

Abstract

In the spring of 2020, daily travel collapsed as public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic kept most people at home. Streets were suddenly and eerily empty in cities around the world. Since then, rates of driving, biking, and walking have largely rebounded, roughly returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, public transit use, particularly in the U.S., has been slow to recover and remains mostly well below pre-pandemic levels.The effects of pandemic-influenced changes in activity and travel are not always intuitive. Working from home may reduce the number of commute trips (especially on public transit), but may induce longer commutes when they do occur. Working from home may also free up time for running errands and chauffeuring children. Similarly, online shopping may reduce trips to the store, but it also generates more commercial delivery trips.While previous research has examined pandemic-induced changes in how much and by which modes people travel, when travel occurs has garnered far less attention. Yet the many longer-term changes in personal and commercial activities coming out of the pandemic — such as remote work, online shopping, and video streaming — likely influence the timing of travel. Changes in travel timing also deserve further study because travel peaking — by time of day and day of week — strongly influences traffic congestion, vehicle emissions, and public transit demand

policy brief

Impacts of Freeway Siting on Stockton’s Asian American Community

Abstract

Stockton, California, underwent spatial restructuring in the decades following World War II. State and local government contributed and responded to these changes by implementing connected freeway and urban renewal programs. Xenophobia and racism placed Asian American communities in their path.A major economic hub for California’s agricultural sector, Stockton and the surrounding region had a racially and ethnically diverse population in the mid-1900s, with people of color restricted to the lowest rungs of society. Asian Americans played a major role in the city’s development but were socially, economically, and politically marginalized. Since the mid-1800s and into the 1970s, Asian Americans were targets of multiple forms of discrimination, some shared by other people of color and others unique to Asians, including xenophobic immigration restrictions, prohibitions against owning land, and mass internment.Residential segregation limited their housing options, forcing many to settle in and around downtown. Despite facing racism and having limited resources, Asian Americans were able to form vibrant albeit low-income ethnic enclaves: Chinatown, Japantown, and Little Manila.Government actions initiated, facilitated, and responded to a postwar restructuring of the urban landscape through suburbanization and the abandonment of the central business district. A dramatic expansion of the freeway system made way for urban sprawl. At the same time, Stockton responded to the commercial decline of its downtown by pursuing urban renewal. These coordinated, massive infrastructure programs were linked through a common agenda of “slum clearance” that sought removal of entire neighborhoods. Tragically, the Asian enclaves lay along the path of destruction of both.

research report

Lessons Learned from Abroad: Potential Influence of California High-Speed Rail on Economic Development, Land Use Patterns, and Future Growth of Cities

Abstract

This study discusses the potential economic and development impacts that high-speed rail (HSR) may bring to California. The research reviews the reported impacts of HSR implementation in various countries, particularly in Europe, and case studies of selected HSR station cities in France, Spain, and Italy. The analysis suggests that HSR could bring economic development to the state and stimulate population growth but might eventually lead to gentrification in certain locations. Not all station cities experience the same impacts, and certain conditions may foster greater economic development. Station location and connectivity to downtown areas would be particularly important in influencing these impacts, while peripheral stations would be less able to attract land use development and relocation of activities. The availability of rail service to larger cities (and connections to other major markets) and the coordination with urban planning and policy are key to determining the development of areas around HSR stations. The study indicates that for HSR to bring about desired economic development, the planning and design of stations and services must be integrated with the vision and urban plans of each station city.