Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Influences vs. Expected Outcomes

About the project:

Elected officials generally recognize that they have two techniques at their disposal to influence the quantity and shape of new development within a given jurisdiction: transportation improvements and zoning ordinances. Despite some successes, the application of zoning ordinances to influence land use has often proven difficult for several reasons, including potential infringement on landowner’s rights, the breadth of land use categories employed in zoning (e.g., commercial, light industrial, etc.), inconsistent zoning among neighboring jurisdictions, and appeals processes that can quickly change permitted land uses in a specific location. Accordingly, citizens, elected officials, and planners have looked to transportation infrastructure investments as another technique for influencing a region’s development. Some counties and cities in Virginia have attempted to influence the quantity and shape of new development through transportation infrastructure investments, both at the city level and at the corridor level. The purpose of this research is to investigate these areas to describe the extent to which transportation investments, including the decision not to make an improvement, can influence the direction and quantity of residential, commercial, and industrial development.

Project Team

Principal Investigators