Community Livability
Helping to Create Attractive, Safe, Cohesive Communities
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Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Updated 25 January 2010
This chapter describes the concept of livability and ways that TDM strategies impact it. Livability refers to the environmental and social quality of an area as perceived by residents, employees, customers and visitors. Livability is affected by a community’s public safety, environmental quality, community cohesion, friendliness, aesthetics, accessibility, pride and opportunity. Many TDM strategies can help achieve livability objectives.
Community Livability refers to the environmental and social quality of an area as perceived by residents, employees, customers and visitors. This includes safety and health (traffic safety, personal security, public health), local environmental conditions (cleanliness, noise, dust, air quality, water quality), the quality of social interactions (neighborliness, fairness, respect, community identity and pride), opportunities for recreation and entertainment, aesthetics, and existence of unique cultural and environmental resources (e.g., historic structures, mature trees, traditional architectural styles).
Community livability directly benefits people who live in, work in or visit an area, increases property values and business activity, and it can improve public health and safety. Livability is largely affected by conditions in the public realm, places where people naturally interact with each other and their community, including streets, parks, transportation terminals and other public facilities, and so is affected by public policy and planning decisions.
Transportation decisions can have a major impact on community livability. Streetscapes that are attractive, safe and suitable for a variety of transportation modes (particularly walking) are a key factor in community livability. Traffic safety, traffic noise and local air pollution, Affordability, impervious surface coverage (i.e., the portion of land devoted to roads and parking), preservation of environmental and cultural structures, and opportunities for recreation are all livability factors often affected by transportation policies and practices.
Transportation decisions can also affect social interactions and community cohesion (Forkenbrock and Weisbrod, 2001). Pedestrian-friendly streets create opportunities for people to meet and interact, helping to create community networks. A classic study by Appleyard (1981) and Hart (2008) found that residents of higher traffic volume streets are less likely to know their neighbors, and show less concern over their local environment than residents of streets with lower traffic volumes and speeds.
Traditional transportation planning tends to emphasize vehicle mobility improvements over other community livability objectives. Streets were designed primarily to maximize traffic flow, and buildings were designed to maximize parking convenience. Far greater resources were devoted to automobile facilities (road and parking) than for nonmotorized modes. Funding was available to landscape freeways, but not neighborhood streets. Important environmental and social features, and sometimes whole communities, were destroyed during highway construction. There is now increasing appreciation of the importance of community livability objectives. Planners realize that roads often play multiple roles as both travel corridors and places for community interaction. Many communities now favor roadway improvements that reduce traffic speeds and limit traffic volumes for the sake of livability.
Transportation Demand Management can help achieve many community Livability objectives, including improved Walking and Cycling conditions; Basic Access, improved Accessibility and transportation affordability; increased Security, Health and Safety; Emission Reductions; improved opportunities for community interaction and recreation; and preservation of greenspace and cultural artifacts. Many of the Active Community Environment factors advocated by the U.S. Center for Disease Control, such more walkable communities and incentives for reduced automobile travel, are supported by TDM (Killingsworth and Lamming, 2001).
The following TDM strategies tend to be particularly effective at achieving Livability objectives.
Land use management strategies such as New Urbanism and Smart Growth are the basis for creating more Accessibility communities with attractive, walkable neighborhoods and a variety of Transportation Choices. Location-Efficient Mortgages can make urban infill development more affordable and financially attractive, leading to mixed-use and mixed-income communities. Land use planning is often an opportunity for communities to establish livability objectives and implement programs to achieve these objectives (Land Use Evaluation).
Pedestrian Improvements and Bicycle Improvements can help create attractive, safe and vibrant streets and improve transportation choice. Nonmotorized Transportation Encouragement programs can help overcome specific barriers to cycling and walking and increase the number of people using these modes.
Street Reclaiming is a process for increasing the social, cultural, recreational and economic activity in neighborhood streets. It involves reducing vehicle traffic volumes and speeds, and creating more attractive street environments, to encourage interaction and increase residents’ involvement in their community.
Traffic Calming includes a variety of roadway design features that reduce vehicle traffic speeds and volumes. This can reduce traffic Speed, noise and air pollution, and improve safety, particularly for residents. It is often implemented in conjunction with other roadway environmental improvements such as landscaping and Road Space Reallocation.
Comprehensive Car-free Planning and Vehicle Restrictions that support other TDM strategies (nonmotorized transport, transit, efficient land use, etc.) can significantly improve livability by reducing vehicle traffic and improving nonmotorized accessibility. Campus Transportation Management can be a way to create and improve Car-Free areas in campus areas.
Parking Management can be an important way to support community livability. It can create more attractive landscapes, improve accessibility and walkability, preserve greenspace and increase housing affordability.
Universal Design refers to facility designs that accommodate the widest range of potential users, including people with disabilities and other special needs. Universal Design supports accessibility, community cohesion and equity objectives.
Livability factors, such as local environmental quality, walkability and preservation of important artifacts, can be particularly important in resort communities. Tourist Transportation Management can help preserve the attributes that attract visitors to a recreational area, improve visitors’ transportation choices, and mitigate problems for residents and employees, such as seasonal traffic congestion and parking problems.
Special Event Transportation Management involves encouraging the use of alternative modes to events such as fairs, concerts and games. This can make such events more enjoyable and affordable, and mitigate problems such as traffic congestion.
School Trip Management encourages parents, students and staff to reduce automobile trips and use alternative modes for travel to and from schools. This can support community livability objectives including transportation choice, accessibility, walkability, affordability, community interaction and reduced traffic on local streets. It can be a catalyst for more efficient land use, Nonmotorized Transportation Planning, and other strategies that support livability objectives.
Efforts to Address Security Concerns can improve personal safety, which directly increases community livability and supports other objectives such as transportation choice, community interaction and reduced automobile traffic. Increasing Transportation System Resilience can improve security for individuals and communities.
Transit service quality and affordability are important for many livability objectives, including transportation choice, affordability and reduced automobile traffic. Transit Oriented Development can be a catalyst for more livable community development, such as urban neighborhood redevelopment. On the other hand, heavy diesel bus traffic can reduce streetscape environmental quality.
Community cohesion refers to the quantity and quality of interaction between people in a community. Human society is adaptable. Communities can function in all sorts of conditions, from rural villages to tower apartments. But some work better than others. Community cohesion improves with:
· An attractive public realm – which encourages interaction.
· Walkability – which brings people outside in areas where they can interact.
· Mixed Land Use – which brings services close to people.
Ridesharing (carpooling and vanpooling) Carsharing (automobile rental services intended to substitute for private vehicle ownership) and Taxi Service Improvements can help support livability objectives, including transportation choice, affordability and reduced automobile traffic.
Shuttle Services include a variety of transportation services that use small buses or vans to provide public mobility. This can help support livability objectives, including transportation choice and affordability, and is particularly appropriate for local, community-based mobility programs.
Telework involves the use of telecommunications to substitute for physical travel. It includes telecommuting, employees with mobile work (e.g., sales staff or field workers who rely heavily on telecommunications), and people who are self-employed and able to work from a home office due to efficient communications. This can help support livability objectives, including transportation choice, affordability and reduced automobile traffic.
Transportation Management Associations are private, non-profit, member-controlled organizations that provide transportation services in a particular area, such as a business district, mall, medical center or industrial park. They can provide a framework for implementing a wide range of specific transportation strategies that achieve livability objectives in a specific district or neighborhood.
Institutional reforms such as Least Cost Planning and more flexible road and parking design standards (FHWA, 1998) can help support community livability objectives.
Sustainable Transportation refers to transportation systems that respond to long-term and indirect economic, social and environmental objectives. Sustainable Transportation planning can provide a framework for implementing community livability improvements.
Livability can be difficult evaluate. A variety of factors affect perceived environmental and social conditions, many of which are difficult to measure. People often have different preferences and priorities regarding community livability. Some factors, such as safety, aesthetics and friendliness, are important livability attributes in their own right, and as indicators of residents’ pride and consideration, which are also livability attributes, and so it may be difficult to determine which factors most important.
Despite these obstacles, livability can be evaluated using various indicators. The list below indicates general community livability objectives. This list can be modified and prioritized based on community surveys and public involvement techniques. The results can be used to create evaluation criteria and indicators for evaluating specific transportation and land use decisions (TDM Planning and Implementation).
· Perception of public safety.
· Attractive streetscapes and other public facilities.
· Community character. A livable community tends to value having a unique identify that makes it special and instills a sense of community pride.
· Friendliness and consideration. Positive personal interactions between people (including residents, employees and visitors) contribute to community livability.
· Community cohesion. This refers to the degree of social networking in a community, including the degree to which residents cooperate and interact.
· Walkability. Walking is a primary way that people travel, interact and experience their community.
· Convenience, Accessibility and Transportation Choice, which increase people’s opportunities for employment, shopping and recreation, and support equity objectives.
· Quiet, fresh air and cleanliness.
· Quality of independent mobility for children, elders and people with special needs.
· Recreation. Opportunities for fun, exercise and informal community interaction.
· Affordability allows people of all income classes to be part of a community, and reduces stress and uncertainty on residents.
· Equity. Respect, fairness and consideration of people with special needs are important for community livability.
The European Commission report Kids on the Move (EC, 2002) emphasizes the importance of designing urban communities that accommodate children’s physical exercise, independent mobility, and ability to explore their environment. It states, “all too often, our towns and cities seem to have been designed without any regard for children and young people. Public spaces and modes of transport – devised by healthy adults for, at best, other healthy adults – neglect the needs of children just as they neglect the needs of other ‘minorities’. This poses a threat to children’s independence and has a serious effect on their development and well-being.” The degree to which urban landscapes and transportation systems accommodate the needs of children and other people with special needs can be considered an indicator of community livability.
· Livability impacts should be treated seriously in transportation planning. Planning and investment practices should give traffic reduction and management strategies intended to achieve community livability objectives equal consideration as roadway and parking capacity expansion.
· Comprehensive Transportation Planning should include attention to livability impacts, including effects on walking conditions, streetscape aesthetics, safety, affordability, recreation opportunities, community cohesion, and other special community attributes. Techniques should be developed and used that help stakeholders understand such impacts.
· Public involvement should be used to develop community livability priorities and objectives for use in transportation and land use planning.
· Planning and funding practices should be reformed to correct any biases that favor high-speed, highway travel over lower-speed, local travel.
Context Sensitive Design (CSD) is a new approach to transportation planning that examines the role that streets and roads can play in enhancing communities and natural environments -- be they urban, suburban or rural, scenic or historical. Through a planning and design process that encourages practitioners to collaborate with communities, context sensitive design responds to local needs and values while accommodating the safe movement of motor vehicles. To take advantage of this new way of doing business, Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) has developed a series of one-day training sessions for transportation professionals offering practical help and technical guidance in applying context sensitive design.
In a study by Professor Kathleen Wolf (2002), consumers were shown photos of retail streets with and without trees to inner-city residents across the US and asked how much they would be willing to pay for a variety of items at each location. Participants indicated that they were willing to pay nearly 12% more to shop on treed streets than on treeless ones. They perceived shops on tree-lined streets as better maintained, having a more pleasant atmosphere, and as likely having higher quality products. Participants also indicated that they were willing to travel farther to those shops (expanding the customer pool) and to pay more for parking.
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Joe, Walter and George survived an airplane crash in the blazing hot Sahara desert. Searching around, they found an ancient bottle, which they opened, hoping it contained something to drink. Instead, a Genie emerged. Looking down at them, the magical creature spoke: “Thank you for releasing me. As a repayment, I will grant each of you one wish.”
Joe steps forward first. “Give me fresh water.” Magically, a bottle of imported mineral water appears before him and he drinks to satisfaction.
“You fool!,” says Walter. “You wasted your wish on nothing more than a bottle of water! Let me show you how to make a more useful wish.” He tells the Genie, “Give me a tall glass of beer.” Magically, a yard of the finest appears before him and he drinks to satisfaction.
“You’re both fools,” says George. “All you can think about is a single drink. We have no idea how long we’ll be stuck here in the hot desert. I’ll use my wish for something that will last as long as we’re here.” He orders the Genie, “Give me a car door.”
Joe and Walter watch incredulously as George stands before a car door, while the Genie blows away in a cloud of dust. “Why did you ask for that?” inquires Joe.
“Can’t you see,” George explains, “When it gets hot we can roll down the window!” |
AARP (2008), Opportunities for Creating Livable Communities, Research Report, American Association for Retired Persons Public Policy Institute (www.aarp.org/ppi); at www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/indliving/inb155_communities.html.
AIA (2005), What Makes a Community Livable? Livability 101, American Institute of Architects (www.aia.org); at www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aias077949.pdf.
Christopher Alexander, et al (1997), A Pattern Language, Oxford University Press (New York).
Don Alexander, Ray Tomalty and Mark Anielski (2004), BC Sprawl Report 2004-Economic Vitality and Livable Communities, Smart Growth BC (www.smartgrowth.bc.ca).
Heather Allen (2008), Sit Next To Someone Different Every Day - How Public Transport Contributes To Inclusive Communities, Thredbo Conference (www.thredbo.itls.usyd.edu.au); at www.thredbo.itls.usyd.edu.au/downloads/thredbo10_papers/thredbo10-plenary-Allen.pdf.
Donald Appleyard (1981), Livable Streets, University of California Press (Berkeley).
Timothy Beatley (2000), Green Urbanism; Learning from European Cities, Island Press (www.islandpress.com).
Building Livable Neighborhoods (www.livingneighborhoods.org),.
Dan Burden (1999), Street Design Guidelines for Healthy Neighborhoods, Center for Livable Communities, Local Government Commission (www.lgc.org/clc).
Stephen Burrington and Veronika Thiebach (1995), Take Back Your Streets; How to Protect Communities from Asphalt and Traffic, Conservation Law Foundation (Boston; www.clf.org).
Center for Livable Communities (www.lgc.org/clc) helps local governments and community leaders be proactive in their land use and transportation planning.
Citizen Planner Institute (www.citizenplanner.com) trains average citizens, public officials, business people, and kids in the basics of neighborhood and town design.
CIVITAS (www.civitas-initiative.org) is a European Commission supported initiative to help introduce sustainable urban transport strategies.
Common Ground (www.commonground.org.uk) promotes respect for the unique cultural and environmental features of each community.
Complete Streets (www.completestreets.org) is a campaign to promote roadway designs that effectively accommodate multiple modes and support local planning objectives.
Congress for the New Urbanism (www.cnu.org), provides a variety of information on innovative urban design.
CTE (Center for Transportation and the Environment) (2008), Improved Methods For Assessing Social, Cultural, And Economic Effects Of Transportation Projects, NCHRP Project 08-36, Task 66, Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO); at www.statewideplanning.org/_resources/234_NCHRP-8-36-66.pdf.
DEA & Associates (1999), Main Street…When a Highway Runs Through It, Transportation and Growth Management Program, Oregon DOT and Dept. of Environmental Quality (www.lcd.state.or.us/tgm/publications.htm).
EC (2002), Kids On The Move: A Handbook For Local Authorities And Schools, DG Environment on Child Mobility, European Commission (http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/youth/air/kids_on_the_move_en.html).
Reid Ewing (1996), Best Development Practices; Doing the Right Thing and Making Money at the Same Time, Planners Press (www.planning.org).
David Engwicht (1999), Street Reclaiming; Creating Livable Streets and Vibrant Communities, New Society Publishers (www.newsociety.com); summarized at www.lesstraffic.com.
FHWA (1998), Flexibility in Highway Design, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-PD-97-062 (www.fhwa.dot.gov).
David J. Forkenbrock and Glen E. Weisbrod (2001), Guidebook for Assessing the Social and Economic Effects of Transportation Projects, NCHRP Report 456, Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org); at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_456-a.pdf.
Joshua Hart (2008), Driven To Excess: Impacts Of Motor Vehicle Traffic On Residential Quality Of Life In Bristol, UK, Masters Thesis, University of the West of England; at www.livingstreets.org.uk/cms/downloads/0-driven_to_excess_summary.pdf.
Richard E. Killingsworth and Jean Lamming (2001), “Development and Public Health; Could Our Development Patterns be Affecting Our Personal Health?” Urban Land, Urban Land Institute (www.uli.org), July 2001, pp. 12-17
Suzanne Crowhurst Lennard and Henry Lennard (1995), Livable Cities Observed, Gondolier (Carmel).
Todd Litman (1999), “Reinventing Transportation; Exploring the Paradigm Shift Needed to Reconcile Sustainability and Transportation Objectives,” Transportation Research Record 1670, Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org), pp. 8-12; available at www.vtpi.org.
Todd Litman (2000), Evaluating Smart Growth and TDM; Social Welfare and Equity Impacts of Efforts to Reduce Sprawl and Automobile Dependency, VTPI (www.vtpi.org).
Todd Litman (2005), Evaluating Transportation Land Use Impacts, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org); at www.vtpi.org/landuse.pdf.
Todd Litman (2006), Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis: Techniques, Estimates and Implications, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org/tca).
Todd Litman (2006), Community Cohesion As A Transport Planning Objective, Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org); at www.vtpi.org/cohesion.pdf.
Todd Litman (2009), “Mobility as a Positional Good: Implications for Transport Policy and Planning,” Car Troubles: Critical Studies of Automobility and Auto-Mobility (Jim Conley and Arlene Tigar McLaren eds), Ashgate (www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754677727); Introduction at www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/Car_Troubles_Intro.pdf; updated version at www.vtpi.org/prestige.pdf.
William Lucy (2002), Danger in Exurbia: Outer Suburbs More Dangerous Than Cities, University of Virginia (www.virginia.edu), 2002; summarized in www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2002/lucy-april-30-2002.html
William Lucy and David L. Phillips (2006), Tomorrow’s Cities, Tomorrow’s Suburbs, Planners Press (www.planning.org).
Living Streets (www.livingstreets.org.uk), formerly called the Pedestrians Association, works in the UK to improve the quality of streets and public spaces that people on foot can use and enjoy. It provides a variety of information on ways of making streets and urban neighborhoods more livable.
METRO (1997), Creating Livable Streets: Street Design Guidelines, Metro Regional Services, Portland Region (www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=261).
METRO (1998), Livable Communities Workbook, Portland Metropolitan Planning Organization (www.metro-region.org). This document provides guidance for updating local land-use codes to help local governments implement the 2040 Growth Concept.
Diana C. Mutz (2007), Hearing the Other Side: Deliberative versus Participatory Democracy, Cambridge University Press (www.cambridge.org).
NewUrbanism.Org (www.newurbanism.org) provides a variety of information on New Urbanism.
Ottawa (2004), Area Traffic Management Guidelines; Appendices (Draft), Department of Public Works and Services City of Ottawa (www.ottawa.ca); at http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2004/10-20/ACS2004-TUP-TRF-0012%20Annex%202.pdf and http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2004/10-20/ACS2004-TUP-TRF-0012%20Appendix%20A-H.pdf.
Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) works to create and sustain public places that build communities. It provides a variety of resources for developing more livable communities, including workshops on “Context Sensitive Design”.
PPS (2008), Streets As Places: Using Streets To Rebuild Communities, Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org); at www.pps.org/pdf/bookstore/Using_Streets_to_Rebuild_Communities.pdf.
PPS (2008), The Quiet Revolution in Transportation Planning: How Great Corridors Make Great Communities, Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org); at www.pps.org/pdf/bookstore/Great_Corridors_Great_Communities.pdf.
Harrison Bright Rue (2000), Real Towns: Making Your Neighborhood Work, Local Government Commission (www.lgc.org) and Citizen Planner Institute (www.citizenplanner.com).
San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (www.spur.org) is an organization working to improve urban planning practices in the San Francisco region.
Seattle (1996), Making Streets that Work, City of Seattle (www.ci.seattle.wa.us/npo/tblis.htm). Handbook for residents describes how to request various street improvements, including traffic calming.
Smart Growth Network (www.smartgrowth.org) includes planners, govt. officials, lenders, community developers, architects, environmentalists and activists.
Social Research in Transport (SORT) Clearinghouse (www.sortclearinghouse.info) is a repository of reports and links to research findings focused on social issues in transport.
Tri-Met (2002), Community Building Sourcebook, Tri-Met, Portland Oregon Transit Agency (www.trimet.org/inside/publications/sourcebook.htm).
Walkable Communities (www.walkable.org) helps create people-oriented environments.
Walkable and Livable Communities Institute (www.walklive.org) provides training in building healthy communities and a range of topics related to integrating urban design and transportation planning to create more livable places.
Kate Williams and Stephen Green (2001), Literature Review of Public Space and Local Environments for the Cross Cutting Review, Oxford Centre for Sustainable Development (www.urban.odpm.gov.uk/crosscut/litreview/pdf/litreview.pdf), for DTLR.
Kathleen Wolf (2002), Retail And Urban Nature: Creating A Consumer Habitat, People/Plant Symposium, Amsterdam, Netherlands (www.plants-in-buildings.com/documents/symposium-wolf.pdf).
WSDOT (2003), Building Projects that Build Communities: Recommended Best Practices, Community Partnership Forum, Washington State Department of Transportation (www.wsdot.wa.gov/ta/paandi/paihp.html).
This Encyclopedia is produced by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute to help improve understanding of Transportation Demand Management. It is an ongoing project. Please send us your comments and suggestions for improvement.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
www.vtpi.org info@vtpi.org
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
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