RICHMOND’S JOURNEY-TO-WORK TRANSIT TRIP-MAKING ANALYSIS

This paper uses the 2000 Census Transportation Planning Package data to conduct a journey-to-work transit trip-making analysis for the City of Richmond, Virginia. In spite of its low modal share, transit is critical to the City due to its unique demographics and high transit demand. Findings of statistical analyses suggest that factors impacting transit uses at place-of-residence and place-of-work are different. Nevertheless, they share one thing in common that it is essential to improve transit accessibility to workers, especially the ones whose households are below poverty status. The existing hub-and-spoke bus transit system is being challenged by the City’s suburbanization movement and declining downtown area. To accommodate this trend and unmet transit needs, this paper recommends strengthening the bus transit services in the urban fringe residential areas, rather than exclusively focusing on the suburb-downtown transit improvements.Public transportation, Social factors, Ridership, Urban areas

Economic Impact of the James River Park System

The James River Park System (JRPS), “a Little Bit of Wilderness in the Heart of the City,” is a unique part of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. With 550 acres of shoreline and islands in the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the JRPS extends in 14 sections from the Huguenot Bridge (West) to a half mile beyond the I-95 Bridge (East). It includes most of the fall line of the James River, and features rocks, rapids, meadows, and forests that make for an area of unspoiled natural beauty. Large cities around the United States routinely engage researchers to examine the economic value of their Park Systems. These efforts generally assess seven core criteria including (1) property values, (2) revenue associated with tourism, (3) direct use, (4) health, (5) community cohesion, (6) clean water and (7) clean air. This study, the first of its kind for the JRPS, was conducted between November 2016 and March 2017. Due to the tight timeframe, the authors examined only a subset of these factors: property values and tourism. They offer evidence of the value – to all Richmond citizens and to the City – of JRPS’ natural areas, attracting more visitors than any other Metro Richmond destinations

Understanding the Jobs-Affordable Housing Balance in the Richmond Region

The mismatch between location of jobs and housing has a significant impact on the efficiency and quality of life within metropolitan areas. A well-planned region strives to be a “community of short distances.” A wide range of housing choices located close to employment centers could shorten commuting distances and substantially reduce government outlays for transportation facilities, reduce household transportation expenses, and increase feasibility of pedestrian movement. These needs are particularly important to families earning modest wages. CURA, with support from The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia and the Richmond Association of Realtors, has analyzed the spatial pattern of lower-wage jobs and lower-cost housing within the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The analysis reveals how low-cost housing and modest-wage jobs in the Richmond region are not well-balanced. Few areas in which modest-wage jobs cluster have comparable levels of low-cost housing. The established suburban areas north, west, and south of Richmond’s urban center have a large number of retail and service jobs that pay modest wages, yet these areas provide few affordable-dwelling units for these wage earners. The second part of this study addressed a major obstacle to the construction of new, affordable-housing units: fears. Many new, affordable dwelling units, by financial necessity, will be built at higher densities and smaller size to reduce cost. Homeowners in nearby neighborhoods often oppose construction of these units over fear of reduced property values, higher crime, and other factors. Six higher-density, 3 lower-cost housing projects were studied for their impact on the nearby middle-income neighborhoods. Documentation of home sale prices, assessment values, and crime rates before and after construction of the more affordable dwelling units did not reveal any notable long-term impact on crime rates, property values, or property sales

3D Visualization in Community-Based Planning

A new wave of recently developed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software provides for higher levels of analysis, modeling, and visualization for community development and planning. Beyond the typical 2D static map produced through most GIS software, more recent developments allow for much more detailed 3D visual graphics. CommunityViz allows for predictive modeling, data integration, and 3D visualization. It is the utility of this last capability that is examined in an Extension pilot program in an Iowa community. Based upon this application, the potential of this type of software for Extension education is discussed

Assessment of Urban Heat Islands and Land Cover Types in Relation to Vulnerable Populations

This study aims to assess urban heat islands and land cover types in relation to vulnerable populations. The city of Richmond, Virginia was selected as the study area using the Census Block Group as the geographic unit of analysis. Regression analysis was carried out to examine the impacts of land cover types on ambient temperatures, while correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between ambient temperature and vulnerable populations. Lastly, multivariate clustering analysis was performed to identify areas vulnerable to urban heat in the city. Findings suggest that: (1) impervious surfaces lead to higher ambient temperatures, while tree coverage has a cooling effect on urban heat; (2) vulnerable populations, except for older adults, tend to live in areas with higher ambient temperatures; and (3) vulnerable populations are spatially clustered in specific locations in the city. This study concludes with recommendations of mitigation measures to reduce the adverse effect of urban heat islands by applying high-albedo materials to urban surfaces and expanding tree coverage and green space

The Impact of Compact and Mixed Development on Land Value: A Case Study of Richmond, Virginia

Sustainable development entails various development patterns commonly associated with compact and mixed development that usually leads to reduced driving, more public transportation utilization, lower energy consumption, better walkability, and improved public health. To examine if the benefits of compact and mixed development are reflected in land value, this study sets forth to measure development compactness and land use mix and assesses the impacts of such patterns on land value. Impacts of accessibility to jobs, retail stores, and public transportation on land value are also investigated and compared to the impacts from development patterns. The study finds that: (1) accessibility has greater impacts than development pattern on land value; (2) compact development and mixed land use influence land value differently depending on the nature of existing land uses and land values; (3) accessibility to jobs and retail stores always contributes to the increase of land value; and (4) accessibility to public transportation helps but it does not influence land value in a consistent fashion. The results suggest that areas with higher residential property values, good proximity to the city center, less industrial land uses, and good access to jobs and retail stores have greater potential to realize an increase of land value resulted from compact and mixed development in Richmond, Virginia

The Impact of Compact and Mixed Development on Land Value: A Case Study of Richmond, Virginia

Sustainable development entails various development patterns commonly associated with compact and mixed development that usually leads to reduced driving, more public transportation utilization, lower energy consumption, better walkability, and improved public health. To examine if the benefits of compact and mixed development are reflected in land value, this study sets forth to measure development compactness and land use mix and assesses the impacts of such patterns on land value. Impacts of accessibility to jobs, retail stores, and public transportation on land value are also investigated and compared to the impacts from development patterns. The study finds that: (1) accessibility has greater impacts than development pattern on land value; (2) compact development and mixed land use influence land value differently depending on the nature of existing land uses and land values; (3) accessibility to jobs and retail stores always contributes to the increase of land value; and (4) accessibility to public transportation helps but it does not influence land value in a consistent fashion. The results suggest that areas with higher residential property values, good proximity to the city center, less industrial land uses, and good access to jobs and retail stores have greater potential to realize an increase of land value resulted from compact and mixed development in Richmond, Virginia