research report

The Opportunity Cost of Parking Requirements: Would Silicon Valley be Richer if its Parking Requirements were Lower?

Abstract

We estimated the off-street parking supply of the seven most economically productive cities in Santa Clara County, California, better known as Silicon Valley. Using assessor data, municipal zoning data, and visual inspection with aerial imagery, we estimated that about 14 percent of the land area in these cities is devoted to parking and that over half the average commercial parcel is parking spaces. This latter fact suggested that minimum parking requirements, if binding, could depress Silicon Valley’s commercial and industrial densities, and; thus, its productivity. In an exploratory empirical exercise, we simulated a reduction in parking requirements from the year 2000 forward and showed that under conservative assumptions, the region could have added space for an additional 12,886 jobs, which is 43 percent of the actual job growth that occurred during that time. These additional jobs would be disproportionately located in the region’s highest-wage zip codes, further implying a large productivity gain.

presentation

3 Revolutions Policy Webinar Series

presentation

Caltrans Planning Horizons Webinar

policy brief

General Plan Content Related to Transportation and Land Use Varies Significantly Across Cities in Orange County

Abstract

California cities and counties are required to prepare general plans, which serve as long-range planning documents for future growth. General plans do not necessarily focus on a specific investment project or regulatory action that shapes development patterns directly but rather play an important role in informing stakeholders (e.g., landowners, developers, planners, elected officials) and supporting their decision making. The state provides guidelines and requirements for general plans. However, the content and structure of general plans vary markedly across cities. Some cities simply list goals and policies, while other cities provide detailed information using various forms of written and visual presentation. An increasing number of studies have examined to what extent plans are implemented and under what circumstances they are implemented successfully. However, little is known about the informational content of general plans and how the structural characteristics of general plans can either facilitate or hinder the use of the plan itself.

research report

Improving the Distribution of Densities in Southern California

Abstract

Many of the biggest transportation challenges in Southern California arise not due to its overall density but due to the lack of concentration of densities. While recent years have witnessed increasing efforts to expand public transit services and encourage compact development in transit areas, there is a dearth of research providing support for improving the distribution of densities in the region. This project adopts a simultaneous equation modeling (SEM) approach to reveal the complexity of parcel-level (residential) land use intensification dynamics in a five-county Southern California metropolitan region with emphasis on the importance of reciprocal interactions between current and planned land use changes and the critical role of public transit accessibility. Results suggest that residential densification and upzoning processes reinforce each other. Urban residential upzoning can significantly promote the probability of parcel-level residential densification, even though it does not always lead to an immediate market response in every location. More importantly, the residential density increases are found to induce further plan/zoning modifications in nearby areas, indicating the presence of feedback loops in this dynamic relationship. There is also evidence of the positive influence of public transit accessibility. Single-family residential land parcels with greater access to high-quality transit services show a higher level of densification and upzoning probabilities when all other conditions are held constant. Such positive effects are detected not only in existing high-quality transit areas but also in locations where public transit services will be available in the future.

policy brief

Gaining Wait? Analyzing the Congestion Impacts of Road Diets in Los Angeles

policy brief

Compact, Accessible, and Walkable Communities Help Support Gender Equality

Abstract

In California, Senate Bill 375 mandates regional planning organizations align their transportation plans with sustainable land use and development strategies to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In response, the Southern California Association of Governments’ 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Community Strategy directs nearly 50% of housing and employment growth between 2010 and 2040 into walkable and compact neighborhoods within a one-half mile walking distance from well-serviced transit stops. This approach to land use development can encourage shorter driving trips, greater transit usage, and increased walking and cycling as a result of daily activity destinations being clustered near residential and work locations.1Another bi-product and benefit of compact and accessible communities may be improving gender equality related to travel and activity patterns. Prior research shows segregated and dispersed land uses (i.e., suburban sprawl) can exacerbate gender disparities in daily household travel by separating the public and private realms, and can also constrain women to their immediate neighborhoods.2,3 In contrast, neighborhoods with pedestrian accessible mixes-use centers have been shown to help counter social isolation of women in suburbia.4In addition, compact communities with denser land use and better transit service has been shown to reduce the disproportionate amount of chauffeuring women conduct on behalf of the household.

research report

Delayed Mobility and Retirement: Final Report

Publication Date

June 1, 2019

Author(s)

Andrew Schouten, Evelyn Blumenberg, Martin Wachs, Miriam Pinski

Abstract

This report examines whether being more mobile is associated with decisions by older people to remain in the active workforce after normal retirement age. Mobility includes having access to and the capacity to drive cars being transit accessible or being able to walk to work or work at home. The report presents findings in three sections and concludes, based on research conducted thus far, that there are indications of causal associations between mobility and delayed retirement. The report includes a review of the literature linking mobility, travel by the elderly, and retirement decision-making. Following the review of the literature is a quantitative analysis of data from the California Household Travel Survey, including mathematical models of relationships between mobility and the propensity of older Californians to remain in the active workforce. The final component of the research findings is a summary of the results of qualitative research consisting of focus groups and interviews. While the findings are not conclusive they show relationships that indicate that further research, particularly using longitudinal rather than cross-sectional data, are warranted. After presenting findings, the report concludes with recommendations for further research.

policy brief

Transit Investments are Having an Impact on Land Use Beyond the Half-Mile Mark

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in transit-
oriented development (TOD) and other transit-centered
initiatives. It has been widely presumed that transit investment
can significantly contribute to curbing sprawl and creating
a more compact (and thus more sustainable) pattern of
urban land use, while providing a broader range of travel
options. However, little is known about how investments in
the public transit system modify urban land use patterns and
the geographical extent of impacts. Prior research tends to
assume transit lines and stations are homogeneous and have
similar impacts without careful consideration of development
history, service quality, or other variations. In addition, prior
research and current practice often assume transit impacts
are concentrated within a half-mile, which has limited the
understanding of how transit investments impact the broader
vicinity.