Transportation and land-use preferences and residents' neighborhood choices: the sufficiency of compact development in the Atlanta region

Authors: Levine, Jonathan¹; Frank, Lawrence²

Source: Transportation, Volume 34, Number 2, March 2007 , pp. 255-274(20)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This paper analyzes the transportation and land-use preference and actual neighborhood choices of a sample of 1,455 residents of metro Atlanta. We develop a stated-preference scale on which desires for neighborhood type are gauged, from preferences for low-density, auto-oriented environments to desires for compact, walkable, and transit-oriented neighborhoods. This scale is then related to desires for change in one's own neighborhood characteristics after a hypothetical move. If all neighborhood preferences were equally likely to be satisfied, then neighborhood preferences would not be correlated with a desire for change. By contrast, in the current study, stronger preferences for a more walkable environment are associated with greater desire for change in one's neighborhood characteristics. This suggests an undersupply of compact, walkable, and transit-friendly neighborhood types relative to current demand.

Keywords: Zoning; Land-use regulation; Stated preference; Residential choice; Smart growth; Compact development

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11116-006-9104-6

Affiliations: 1: Email: jnthnlvn@umich.edu 2: Email: ldfrank@interchange.ubc.ca

Publication date: 2007-03-01