Urban forests have been shown to impact residential property values. This research demonstrates the results of a hedonic pricing study to determine the impact of canopy cover on single family residential property values in Lakeland, Tennessee during the period 2001-2005. The influence of canopy cover was evaluated on the lot within buffers of 100m, 500m, and 1km surrounding the lot. The study shows that canopy cover on the lot was not a significant contributor to property values while canopy cover in the buffers had a significant positive influence on home sales prices. Results also indicate that the increased property values lead to increased municipal tax revenues of 1.2-1.7% for every 10% increase in canopy cover. Results of this study can be used to develop similar processes and analyses leading to subsequent benefit-cost ratios for urban forestry programs while providing guidance on strategic tree retention and replacement efforts.

The effects of severely contaminated properties (e.g. NPL sites) on residential property values are well documented. However, most contaminated sites are not so severe to warrant placement on the NPL, and little is known about the impacts to commercial and industrial property markets. Furthermore, perceptions may be developed about different types of land-uses as a result of information made public about sites placed on lists. If perceptions matter, then properties with no known contamination may be viewed as undesirable neighbors in a way similar to listed sites. Therefore, property value impacts could be even more substantial as compared to only the impacts of known contaminated sites. The economic impacts of known and perceived environmental contamination are quantified by estimating two sets of hedonic property value models using data on commercial and industrial property sales for Fulton County, Georgia. Sites listed on the EPA’s CERCLIS and NFRAP reports and the Georgia EPD’s HSI and NonHSI reports are utilized to estimate the impacts of known environmental contamination. The impacts from perceived contamination are estimated utilizing a set of properties that are identified by an ordered probit model that computes the probability commercial and industrial properties may be contaminated. The probability of contamination model is built on factors that are assumed to be key signals to investors in forming their perceptions about the likelihood commercial and industrial properties may be contaminated. Property value losses due to known contamination were estimated at slightly over $1 billion and potential losses from perceived contamination were near $663 million. Although estimated property value impacts are not equivalent to expected gains that may result from the remediation of all contaminated sites, the magnitude of the estimated losses suggests that significant gains can be achieved if property values recover by only a fraction. Policies could be implemented that prioritize site remediation to target minority and/or economically depressed areas to help spur economic development. Potential increases in the tax base would result in greater property tax revenues for the provision of public services for the community and new economic development could help provide access to new jobs for local residents.

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Commuter rail infrastructure often adds value to neighboring properties. The best methods to measure changes in values require baseline data from a year prior to system implementation. The current planning of a commuter rail in Austin, TX presents the need to document property values for future studies. The report records 2005 property values from Travis and Williamson Central Appraisal Districts, using GIS to group the data by various distances away from the proposed train stations. In addition, a large set of secondary improvement data and census demographic information about each site has been accumulated. Future researchers will be able to conduct matched-pair and multivariable regression models with the data, and rely on the station descriptions for a solid understanding of the sites and their relationships. / text

Historians have debated to what extent the free people of color in New Orleans were members of a wealthy privileged elite or part of a middle or working class in the South's largest antebellum city. This study steps outside the debate to suggest that analysis of the censuses of 1850 and 1860 shows correlations between neighborhoods, household structures, and occupations that reveal a heterogeneous population that eludes simple definitions. In particular this study focuses on mixed-race households to shed light on this segment of the free colored population that is mostly unstudied and generally misrepresented. This study also finds that immediately prior to the Civil War, mixed-race families, for no easily understood reason, tended to cluster in certain neighborhoods. Mostly this study points out that by the Civil War, the free people of color in New Orleans had evolved into a diverse mostly working class population.

Student Number : 9709049J - MSc research report - School of Construction Economics and Management - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / Spiralling violent crime in South Africa has led to the increased use of access control to restrict access to suburbs and thus make it more difficult to perpetrate violent crime against residents. This neighbourhood enclosure normally takes the form of booms, palisade fences and security guards to close off entire suburbs that were once or still are public property. This study examines the effect of the implementation of neighbourhood enclosure on property values. The primary methodology used to research this concentrated on the analysis of residential property values, bond approvals and relative amounts of property transferred within the period of late 2002 and mid 2004. Analysis was based on information available at the deed’s office. Limitations included the small sample size and the availability of information. Applicants for suburban closures can use the results of the study to verify or discredit claims of property value increases. Municipalities can match property values to services and rates. Results showed that property values that were found to be either similar in adjacent open and enclosed areas or more expensive in enclosed areas. The latter trend was evident in higher value properties. This illustrates a higher demand for properties in these enclosed areas than in the adjacent open areas. Further analysis of prices showed that, in all cases over the same period, prices increased by more in enclosed areas than in open areas. This statistic proves the hypothesis, that neighbourhood enclosure increases the value of properties within the enclosure when compared to similar properties in adjacent open areas. Analysis of the value of bonds granted in an area showed that banks appear to ignore the enclosure status of the immediate area.

This dissertation examines the correlation between incivilities, indicators of urban blight, and single-family residential property values in the City of Richmond, Virginia. Through the utilization of a mixed methods research methodology, this dissertation assesses whether specific incivilities, structural characteristics of properties, or community demographics have an adverse influence on property values. Three separate methodologies were utilized in this research including a time series assessment, focus group and individual interviews, and a cross sectional design. The findings from the time series analysis indicate that property values increased every year over a five year period and that there were variances in property values throughout the City. The qualitative interviews suggested that the location of a property and features of the area heavily influence its value. Higher quality of life amenities tend to have a positive influence on property values and lower quality of life amenities tend to have a negative influence on property values. Incivilities, poverty, and crime were considered attributes of an area that adversely influence property values. The cross sectional analysis suggested that the socio-economics of the area tended to have a stronger correlation to property values than incivilities. Indicators of a high socio-economic status generally had a strong, positive correlation to property values and indicators of a low socio-economic status tended to have a strong, negative correlation to property values. Incivilities, in general, tended to have a moderately weak, negative correlation to property values. The research argues to not overlook but to assess multiple structural and neighborhood factors when examining community conditions. Such an assessment should be conducted at an intimate geographic level rather than a broad, city wide level. From an academic perspective this dissertation fills a hollowness in the empirical literature on the correlation of incivilities to property values. From a practical standpoint, the research provides a renewed lens in which to conceptualize and assess urban conditions and its impressions on communities. Together, this dissertation aids in assessing incivilities and other socio economic conditions to one of the most pervasive challenges facing municipalities in the 21st century - the economic stagnation and decline of residential property values.

O trabalho discute a relação entre infraestrutura urbana e o preço dos terrenos na cidade de São Paulo entre 1958 e 2008. A implantação de novas redes de infraestrutura e a manutenção de seus serviços significa altos custos para os governos e tarifas para a população atendida, mas também propicia substancial elevação da qualidade de vida para as populações urbanas, notadamente as pertencentes aos extratos de renda mais baixa. Esse aumento de qualidade de vida se traduz, por exemplo, pela diminuição de doenças com a implantação de redes de água e esgoto, a melhoria do acesso aos meios de transporte pela pavimentação, provocando maior mobilidade; e o aumento do acesso à informação com a implantação de redes de telecomunicações, com grande impacto sobre o nível educacional e a consequente maior empregabilidade dessas populações. Estudos nessa área são, portanto, de grande importância para a administração pública. O levantamento de dados foi realizado em três etapas: levantamento dos preços dos terrenos, levantamento da evolução da implantação das redes de infraestrutura estudadas (água encanada, esgoto, iluminação pública, pavimentação, gás encanado e telefone fixo) e levantamento histórico/teórico, que procurou compreender os processos socioeconômicos dos fenômenos envolvidos, bem como as metodologias utilizadas e teorias elaboradas por outros autores. As fontes utilizadas foram as Plantas Genéricas de Valores publicadas pela Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo (preços atualizados pelo IPC-FIPE, muito utilizados na cidade de São Paulo), trabalhos acadêmicos (teses, dissertações e artigos publicados em revistas científicas) e demais publicações governamentais. Os dados numéricos e mapas coletados foram digitalizadas e tratados de forma a constituir um banco de dados de informações geográficas, propiciando sua análise gráfica. Utilizando, portanto, principalmente os métodos histórico e a análise gráfica, a tese concluiu que, embora exista influência das infraestruturas estudadas sobre o preço dos terrenos, esta é dependente do tipo de infraestrutura (mais importante no caso da água, iluminação e pavimentação e menos importante no caso do gás e do esgoto), classe socioeconômica e período histórico, sendo que outros fatores ligados aos fluxos urbanos, interesses econômicos e uso do solo podem ter maior relevância sobre os preços. / The paper discusses the relationship between urban infrastructure and land prices in the city of São Paulo between 1958 and 2008. The implementation of infrastructure networks and maintaining their services means high costs for governments and tariffs for the population served, but also provides substantial increase in quality of life for urban populations, especially those belonging to the low-income groups. This increase in quality of life is reflected, for example, in reducing diseases by deploying networks for water and sewage. Paving can improve access to transportation, causing greater mobility, and better telecommunications networks can improve access to information, with great impact on the educational level and the employability of these populations. Studies in this area are thus of major importance for public administration. The data collection was done in three steps: land prices, evolution of the implementation of infrastructure networks (water, sewer, street lighting, paving, gas and telephone) and historical / theoretical studies, that sought to understand the socioeconomic processes of phenomena involved and the methodologies and theories developed by other authors. The sources used were the \"Plantas Genéricas de Valores\" published by the Municipality of São Paulo (prices were updated by the IPC-FIPE index, widely used in the city of São Paulo), academic papers (theses, dissertations and articles published in scientific journals) and government publications. Numerical data collected and maps were digitized and processed to form a database (geographic information database), providing a graphical analysis. Using, therefore, mainly historical and graphical methods, the thesis concludes that, although the relationship between urban infrastructure and prices exists, it is dependent on the type of infrastructure (most important in the case of water, lighting and paving and less important in gas and sewer), socioeconomic class and historical period, and whereas factors related to urban flows, economic interests and land use may have more relevance on prices.

O trabalho discute a relação entre infraestrutura urbana e o preço dos terrenos na cidade de São Paulo entre 1958 e 2008. A implantação de novas redes de infraestrutura e a manutenção de seus serviços significa altos custos para os governos e tarifas para a população atendida, mas também propicia substancial elevação da qualidade de vida para as populações urbanas, notadamente as pertencentes aos extratos de renda mais baixa. Esse aumento de qualidade de vida se traduz, por exemplo, pela diminuição de doenças com a implantação de redes de água e esgoto, a melhoria do acesso aos meios de transporte pela pavimentação, provocando maior mobilidade; e o aumento do acesso à informação com a implantação de redes de telecomunicações, com grande impacto sobre o nível educacional e a consequente maior empregabilidade dessas populações. Estudos nessa área são, portanto, de grande importância para a administração pública. O levantamento de dados foi realizado em três etapas: levantamento dos preços dos terrenos, levantamento da evolução da implantação das redes de infraestrutura estudadas (água encanada, esgoto, iluminação pública, pavimentação, gás encanado e telefone fixo) e levantamento histórico/teórico, que procurou compreender os processos socioeconômicos dos fenômenos envolvidos, bem como as metodologias utilizadas e teorias elaboradas por outros autores. As fontes utilizadas foram as Plantas Genéricas de Valores publicadas pela Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo (preços atualizados pelo IPC-FIPE, muito utilizados na cidade de São Paulo), trabalhos acadêmicos (teses, dissertações e artigos publicados em revistas científicas) e demais publicações governamentais. Os dados numéricos e mapas coletados foram digitalizadas e tratados de forma a constituir um banco de dados de informações geográficas, propiciando sua análise gráfica. Utilizando, portanto, principalmente os métodos histórico e a análise gráfica, a tese concluiu que, embora exista influência das infraestruturas estudadas sobre o preço dos terrenos, esta é dependente do tipo de infraestrutura (mais importante no caso da água, iluminação e pavimentação e menos importante no caso do gás e do esgoto), classe socioeconômica e período histórico, sendo que outros fatores ligados aos fluxos urbanos, interesses econômicos e uso do solo podem ter maior relevância sobre os preços. / The paper discusses the relationship between urban infrastructure and land prices in the city of São Paulo between 1958 and 2008. The implementation of infrastructure networks and maintaining their services means high costs for governments and tariffs for the population served, but also provides substantial increase in quality of life for urban populations, especially those belonging to the low-income groups. This increase in quality of life is reflected, for example, in reducing diseases by deploying networks for water and sewage. Paving can improve access to transportation, causing greater mobility, and better telecommunications networks can improve access to information, with great impact on the educational level and the employability of these populations. Studies in this area are thus of major importance for public administration. The data collection was done in three steps: land prices, evolution of the implementation of infrastructure networks (water, sewer, street lighting, paving, gas and telephone) and historical / theoretical studies, that sought to understand the socioeconomic processes of phenomena involved and the methodologies and theories developed by other authors. The sources used were the \"Plantas Genéricas de Valores\" published by the Municipality of São Paulo (prices were updated by the IPC-FIPE index, widely used in the city of São Paulo), academic papers (theses, dissertations and articles published in scientific journals) and government publications. Numerical data collected and maps were digitized and processed to form a database (geographic information database), providing a graphical analysis. Using, therefore, mainly historical and graphical methods, the thesis concludes that, although the relationship between urban infrastructure and prices exists, it is dependent on the type of infrastructure (most important in the case of water, lighting and paving and less important in gas and sewer), socioeconomic class and historical period, and whereas factors related to urban flows, economic interests and land use may have more relevance on prices.

The nation’s economy depends heavily on mobility of goods and people. As communities look to improve mobility, many options can be considered, including roadway improvements, congestion-pricing options such as dynamic tolling and toll lanes, and public transit. Investment in public transit services can come in the form of increased and enhanced bus services, including bus rapid transit (BRT), as well as rail transit investments. As BRT continues to grow in popularity in the United States, a better understanding of the mode’s impacts on land uses and economic development is needed. One method of assessing the mode’s impacts is by examining the market value of properties with access to BRT stations. Based on land-rent theory, it is hypothesized that people will be willing to pay a premium for convenient and reliable access via BRT to the central business district (CBD) or other locations with employment, educational, recreational, and shopping opportunities. Very little research has been conducted on BRT as it operates in the present day in the United States. For this work, the hypothesis is that the BRT stations have a positive impact on the market value of residential properties. To test this hypothesis, hedonic price regression models are used to estimate the impact of access to BRT stations on the sale prices of surrounding single-family homes using a case study of the HealthLine BRT system in Cleveland, Ohio that began operating in 2008. Three time periods were examined: 2004, the year construction began; 2008–2009, after the HealthLine BRT service began operation; and 2010–2011, the latest year for which sales data are available. Despite a documented decline in median sale prices of single-family homes in the city of Cleveland from 2005 to 2011, overall results of the analysis were mixed. Although it was prior to the opening of the BRT system, the 2004 data did not show any impacts of the stations on surrounding home sale prices. For the 2008–2009 data, positive and statistically significant impacts were found; however, the positive impacts did not persist in the 2010–2011 data. It would likely be necessary to seek out additional years of data to fully answer the question posed by this research. It is important for decision-makers to have the most accurate and most recent information on the benefits and costs of all transportation alternatives, including BRT. The research presented herein makes a significant contribution to filling the current gap in quantitative research on the subject and provides planners, policymakers, and the transit industry with the best information possible to make sound transit investment decisions in their communities.