Retrofitting the Suburbs to Increase Walking: Evidence from a Land-use-Travel Study

Abstract

This paper reports results from a detailed travel diary survey of 2125 residents in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County - a mature, auto-oriented suburban region. Study areas were divided into four centres, typical of compact development or smart growth, and four linear, auto-oriented corridors. Results show substantial variation in the amount of walking across study areas. Trips are shorter and more likely to be via walking in centres. A key to the centres' increased walking travel is the concentration of local shopping and service destinations in a commercial core. Yet the amount of business concentration that is associated with highly pedestrian-oriented neighbourhoods is from three to four times as large as what can be supported by the local resident base, suggesting that pedestrian-oriented neighbourhoods necessarily import shopping trips, and hence driving trips, from larger surrounding catchment areas. The results suggest both land use and mobility strategies that can be appropriate for suburban regions.

The Walking Renaissance: A Longitudinal Analysis of Walking Travel in the Greater Los Angeles Area, USA

“…There have been numerous empirical studies examining the association between sociodemographic and land use impacts on neighborhood walking travel [8,[16][17][18][19][20]. While there are many factors influencing walking behavior, a large literature has shown that population and employment densities are associated with increased pedestrian travel [8][9][10].…”

“…In the South Bay area in particular, which is largely built up, population increases during this period were largely due to infill development. However, this area remains underserved by public transit, evidenced by the lack of transit lines and few reported transit trips according to the South Bay Travel Survey, a sub-regional travel survey conducted from 2005 2007 [8,19,20]. Given that this study is analyzing walking travel at the sub-regional level, additional studies would be needed to scrutinize individual and neighborhood factors impacting walking behavior.…”

“…Hence, transit investments in the short term may generate more walking trips to and from transit stations, and in the long term may led to transit-oriented developments that could promote more neighborhood walking trips [5,63]. Therefore, transit service needs to be strategically implemented in areas or corridors that have the greatest potential for generating more walking trips, such as older suburban downtowns that have higher population and employment densities than the typical auto-oriented suburb [8]. Additionally, transit investments tied with high density mixed-use developments could allow density thresholds that are more conducive to pedestrian travel.…”

“…Once considered a "car capital" of the world, the greater Los Angeles area is transitioning from an auto-centric to a multi-modal metropolis, aided by public transit investments, transit-oriented (re)development policies, downtown revitalization projects, and a renewed interest in alternative, more sustainable transportation including walking, bicycling, and transit use [4][5][6]. Downtown populations are rebounding in L.A. and many other U.S. cities, and even suburban downtowns are transitioning from auto-oriented to pedestrian and transit focused mixed use centers [7][8][9].…”

Determining the potential for Transit Oriented Development along the MRT Jakarta corridor

“…These trips may substitute trips outside the local area [5]. Similarly, creating a concentration of business activity in the compact commercial core in the centre will lead to a high density and short trip distances which encourages people to walk [6].…”