PUBLICATION

MTI Report 01-24
Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit Oriented Development Potential
Principal Investigator: Dr. Earl G. Bossard

This study is an extension of previous research that uses the Envisioning tool to identify neighborhood characteristics that would be important for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) developers and planners. The term TOD is used to describe land use development specifically designed to take advantage of close proximity to good public transit. An explosion of Internet information and means of displaying data, such as school test scores, crime statistics, and real estate listings using tools such as smart geographic information system-based maps, can be used to examine potential sites from both planning and development perspectives.

ABSTRACT

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University conducted this study to review the issues and implications involved in Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit-Oriented Development Potential.

SUMMARY OF PROBLEM: The Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit-Oriented Development Potential project seeks to provide guidelines and examples to facilitate use of the Internet to envision places with TOD potential, building on the envisioning techniques developed and presented in MTI Report 01-15, Envisioning Neighborhoods with Transit-Oriented Development Potential.

RECOMMENDATIONS: These recommendations are made in terms of general style and approach, because the Internet is evolving so rapidly that currently available program are likely to change soon. The envisioning neighborhoods principles presented in MTI Report 01-15 are useful for Internet applications. These principles are: Use small replicate maps, charts, images, and tables to facilitate comparisons across space, time, and scale, because data are best understood in a comparative context. The suggested solution for analyzing the transit-oriented development potential of neighborhoods is twofold: First, use the evolving digital information tools (especially the Internet) and information design principles to find, filter, transform, model, and synthesize neighborhood data. Second, use small replicate maps, charts, digital images, and tables to facilitate comparisons across space, time, and scale, presenting the resulting information in a form useful for understanding conditions, making decisions, and taking action.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Earl G. Bossard, AICP

Dr. Bossard is a professor of Urban and Regional Planning at San José State University. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Harvard. He has worked extensively on computer applications for urban analysis and planning, with special emphasis on geographic information systems, spreadsheets, and census data. For both this report and the previous Envisioning project, Bossard produced the final report and oversaw production of all project components, created envisioning neighborhood concepts, and produced PowerPoint presentations.

Steve Colman, AICP

Steve Colman is an adjunct faculty member of Urban and Regional Planning specializing in transportation planning. He provided technical advice regarding many of the key readings for the literature review. Colman holds a B.A. degree in economics and a M.S. degree in transportation engineering science from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a principal of Dowling Associates with more than 22 years of experience in transportation planning.

TECHNICAL

MTI Report 01-24
Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit Oriented Development Potential
Principal Investigator: Dr. Earl G. Bossard
Published: May 2002
Keywords: Demographics, Regional planning, Transit-oriented development, Urban planning; Web sites, Information retrieval