Increasing vehicle dependence in the United States has resulted in substantial emissions of traffic-related air pollutants that contribute to the deterioration of urban air quality. Exposure to urban air pollutants trigger a number of public health concerns, including the potential of inequality of exposures and health effects among population subgroups. To better understand the impact of traffic-related pollutants on air quality, exposure, and exposure inequality, modeling methods that can appropriately characterize the spatiotemporally resolved concentration distributions of traffic-related pollutants need to be improved. These modeling methods can then be used to investigate the impacts of urban design and transportation management choices on air quality, pollution exposures, and related inequality. This work will address these needs with three objectives: 1) to improve modeling methods for investigating interactions between city and transportation design choices and air pollution exposures, 2) to characterize current exposures and the social distribution of exposures to traffic-related air pollutants for the case study area of Hillsborough County, Florida, and 3) to determine expected impacts of urban design and transportation management choices on air quality, air pollution exposures, and exposure inequality. To achieve these objectives, the impacts of a small-scale transportation management project, specifically the '95 Express' high occupancy toll lane project, on pollutant emissions and nearby air quality was investigated. Next, a modeling method capable of characterizing spatiotemporally resolved pollutant emissions, concentrations, and exposures was developed and applied to estimate the impact of traffic-related pollutants on exposure and exposure inequalities among several population subgroups in Hillsborough County, Florida. Finally, using these results as baseline, the impacts of sprawl and compact urban forms, as well as vehicle fleet electrification, on air quality, pollution exposure, and exposure inequality were explored. Major findings include slightly higher pollutant emissions, with the exception of hydrocarbons, due to the managed lane project. Results also show that ambient concentration contributions from on-road mobile sources are disproportionate to their emissions. Additionally, processes not captured by the CALPUFF model, such as atmospheric formation, contribute substantially to ambient concentration levels of the secondary pollutants such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. Exposure inequalities for NOx, 1,3-butadiene, and benzene air pollution were found for black, Hispanic, and low income (annual household income less than $20,000) subgroups at both short-term and long-term temporal scales, which is consistent with previous findings. Exposure disparities among the subgroups are complex, and sometimes reversed for acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, due primarily to their distinct concentration distributions. Compact urban form was found to result in lower average NOx and benzene concentrations, but higher exposure for all pollutants except for NOx when compared to sprawl urban form. Evidence suggests that exposure inequalities differ between sprawl and compact urban forms, and also differ by pollutants, but are generally consistent at both short and long-term temporal scales. In addition, vehicle fleet electrification was found to result in generally lower average pollutant concentrations and exposures, except for NOx. However, the elimination of on-road mobile source emissions does not substantially reduce exposure inequality. Results and findings from this work can be applied to assist transportation infrastructure and urban planning. In addition, method developed here can be applied elsewhere for better characterization of air pollution concentrations, exposure and related inequalities.

Urban air pollution is responsible for high levels of morbidity and mortality in exposed populations due to its effects on cardiovascular and respiratory function. Transportation-related air pollutants account for the majority of harmful air pollution in urban areas. Forests are known to reduce air pollution through their ability to facilitate dry deposition and atmospheric gas exchange. This work characterizes the interactions between transportation air pollutants and urban forests in Hillsborough County, Florida. A highly spatially resolved passive air sampling campaign was conducted to characterize local concentrations of nitrogen oxides, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) in Hillsborough County, Florida. Sampling locations included a proportion of densely forested urban areas in order to determine the effects of Hillsborough County's urban forest resources on localized concentrations of selected transportation pollutants. Recommended approaches for the use of urban forests as an effective air pollution mitigation technique in Hillsborough County were generated based on results from the sampling campaign. Results show mean concentrations of 2.1 parts per billion and 6.5 µg/m3 for nitrogen oxides and total BTEX, respectively. High spatial variability in pollutant concentrations across Hillsborough County was observed, with the coefficient of variation found to be 0.61 for nitrogen oxides and 0.79 for total BTEX. Higher concentrations were observed along interstate highways, in urban areas of the county, and near select point sources in rural areas. Differences in concentrations within forested areas were observed, but were not statistically significant at the 95%#37; confidence level. These results can be used to identify elements of urban design which contribute to differences in concentrations and exposures. This information can be used to create more sustainable urban designs which promote health and equity of the population.

This thesis expands upon the dialogue between speed and architecture, investigating how architecture reinterprets the linear city, originally defined by the continuous fabric of the freeway and more recently reconfigured by the high speed rail line. Using the linear city as a site of exploration and high speed rail as a ground to test new typologies of architectural insertions at amplified speed, this thesis produces an extended civic space along the proposed high speed rail line connecting Tampa and Orlando. Combining a series of performance and commercial programs, this new typology will make the obscured visual experience along the extended territory of the rail line legible, through a sequencing of specific architectural intersections, exploring how monumental civic space will be made and occupied in the sprawl of the American city.

No description available.

Many cities, including some in New Zealand, are investigating, developing or implementing urban form strategies and, separately, Park and Ride systems. These two matters are not generally considered alongside one another. This paper explores the relationship and interactions between urban form and Park and Ride systems through the identification of objectives for each, and considering the degree to which objectives of various urban form types may be achieved with different types of Park and Ride systems. The purpose of this research project is to investigate and develop a predictive methodology that would allow the identification of the most suitable Park and Ride system (from a proposed classification scheme) for a given set of urban form objectives. Classification systems for urban form and Park and Ride systems are proposed in light of information from an extensive literature and information review. They are used as a basis for an Assessment Framework Matrix of urban form type against Park and Ride type. The matrix is populated from a spreadsheet-based analysis process, which considers the degree of achievement of urban form objectives by various Park and Ride categories. This process is hampered by the lack of (easily accessible) data, particularly for strategic assessment of existing Park and Ride systems worldwide. A range of tests are conducted on the proposed Assessment Framework Matrix using real cities, a range of hypothetical urban areas, and several sensitivity tests. Subsequently, a case study applies the matrix to Christchurch, New Zealand. The main findings of this research project indicate that the proposed methodology works, needs refining with better data, could be useable in public or stakeholder engagement processes, and would benefit from a "User Manual" and some simplification. The case study tentatively indicates a recommended Park and Ride system type for Christchurch.

Thesis (D.Phil. (Town and Regional Planning)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (D.Phil. (Town and Regional Planning)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Increasing concerns about climate change have attracted global interests in reducing auto travel. Regional average vehicle miles traveled (VMT) vary across the urbanized areas in the U.S., suggesting a potential influence of development patterns on greenhouse gas emission. To explore the contribution of development control to driving reduction at the regional scale, this dissertation estimated impacts of urban form on two travel outcomes at the metropolitan scale: daily vehicle miles traveled (DVMT) per capita and daily transit passenger miles (DPMT) per capita. To overcome major problems of previous studies, i.e., lack of generalizability and multicollinearity, a cross-sectional analysis of 203 U.S. urbanized areas was conducted, using directed acyclic graph and structural equation modeling. A literature review revealed gaps in the previous research: while individual-level behavioral studies have identified distance from the center as the most influential factor on VMT, regional-level studies have not reflected this relationship and failed to deliver effective implications for land use policies. A method to identify regional centers was evaluated to appropriately measure polycentric urban structure of contemporary metropolitan areas. The evaluation found that lower density cutoff, wider reference area, and equal treatment between central business district (CBD) and subcenters yielded better performance in McMillen's two-stage nonparametric method. Results also showed that for polycentric areas, the use of a polycentric model produced a better model fit than the monocentric model. Major findings of this dissertation include 1) higher regional concentration, greater local density and less road supply per capita lowered VMT, and 2) higher local density and more transit supply per capita increased PMT. These results imply that different approaches to development control are needed for different sustainable transportation goals - intensifying regional centers such as infill developments for VMT reduction, and compact neighborhood development approaches, such as transit oriented development for transit promotion. However, CBD has a limited capacity and indiscreet compact developments at the urban fringe can lead to decentralization from the regional perspective, and consequently result in increased VMT. This study suggests polycentricism as a potential solution for the contradictive development principle. By allowing dispersion and concentration at the same time, urban form control at the regional level will be more beneficial than conventional local-level control.

O estímulo aos modos ativos de viagem através de modificações na forma urbana - infraestrutura, edificações e atividades - é objeto do planejamento das cidades contemporâneas desde que os problemas do transporte motorizado se revelaram críticos e contrários à ideia de sustentabilidade urbana. Congestionamentos, poluição, custos monetários e sociais elevados estão associados ao modelo de urbanização e mobilidade da maioria das cidades, especialmente nos países em desenvolvimento, onde a explosão da frota motorizada é concomitante à aceleração dos processos de urbanização e espalhamento urbano. Mais recentemente, a revelação de relações de causalidade entre o excesso de utilização dos veículos particulares e problemas de saúde crônica das populações urbanas levou a um crescimento das pesquisas e iniciativas de estímulo às caminhadas como modo de transporte. Também o interesse pela qualidade da experiência da vida na cidade veio somar-se a este corpo de conhecimento, trazendo as ideias de vitalidade urbana e urbanidade para junto dos estudos de caminhabilidade. O interesse extrapolou a análise de demanda agregada que visa o incremento do modo a pé e passou a dar atenção aos caminhos pelos quais as pessoas se movimentam, conectando origens e destinos nos interior das cidades. Este trabalho procura avançar neste aspecto ao propor um método de avaliação dos atributos da forma urbana baseado no monitoramento de caminhantes com dispositivos de posicionamento global (GPS) e modelos de escolha discreta. Um estudo na cidade de Porto Alegre acompanhou indivíduos durante os anos de 2011 a 2014 e, através da representação de diversos atributos urbanos em ambiente SIG, associou as trajetórias realizadas com as características da forma da cidade, concluindo que elas influenciam a utilidade percebida das alternativas de caminho e, portanto, atuam sobre o processo decisório dos pedestres. Para além da simples distância ou declividade, outras características como o tamanho dos trechos, a hierarquia das vias, a presença de prédios marcantes e espaços abertos e a densidade de edificações ao longo dos eixos revelaram-se influentes neste processo. Poucas intersecções e cruzamentos, predomínio de vias amigáveis ao pedestre e edificações arranjadas de forma menos densa são alguns dos atributos que apresentaram maior relevância para a decisão de “por onde ir” no âmbito deste estudo. A amostra relativamente pequena e a concentração das viagens no entorno do Parque Farroupilha e do campus da UFRGS não permitem generalizar os resultados. Porém, o estudo pode ser considerado válido enquanto exploração, pois constrói uma metodologia que pode ser ampliada e aplicada em outros contextos. Além disso, os resultados revelam particularidades da realidade local que parecem indicar a existência de diferenças comportamentais significativas em relação às cidades do primeiro mundo, tornando-o promissor como instrumento de suporte a políticas e projetos de mobilidade urbana sustentável no Brasil. / Since motorized transport problems have proved to be critical and contrary to the concept of urban sustainability, the idea of increasing the active travel modes through changes in urban form is a key subject of today´s mobility agenda. Traffic congestion, air pollution and severe monetary and social costs are associated with the current patterns of urbanization and mobility, especially in developing countries, where an explosive motorized fleet growth occurs simultaneously to an acceleration of urbanization and sprawl processes. Most recently evidences of a causal relationship between massive use of private vehicles and chronic health disorders have led to an increase in research about walking as an effective and clean mode of transportation. Also, the interest about the quality of life experience in the city came to add up to this body of knowledge, bringing in ideas of livability to walkability studies. Beyond the aggregate demand studies that aim to increase the walking mode share, there is now a growing interest on more localized aspects of the walking phenomenon - the routes - trying to understand the ways in which people travel on foot when connecting origins and destinations. This work proposes a method based on assessing data from actually taken walking trips using GPS devices and on modeling pedestrian´s choice behavior using discrete choice models. A study in the city of Porto Alegre, south of Brazil, followed 82 individuals for three consecutive days and, through the representation of several layers of urban data in a GIS environment, associated their trajectories with the main urban form attributes to allow the modeling experiment. The results show that the built environment features play an important role as a decision attribute, producing perceived utility/disutility on the decision-makers´ minds. They indicated that, in addition to the basic travel effort attributes such as trip distance or street slope, other factors such as the straightness of the trip, the road hierarchy, the presence of busy intersections, landmark buildings, noticeable public spaces and the density of buildings along the walking stretches indeed influence the route choice. The relatively small sample size and the spatial clustering of trips around the city´s central area doesn´t allow to the generalization of results. However, the study can be taken as a valid exploratory analysis, since it builds up a methodology that can be expanded and applied in other urban contexts. Furthermore, the results reveal some particular local features that indicate the existence of significant behavioral differences from the developed cities where previous similar studies were performed. These qualities make the proposed framework a promising decision support tool for sustainable urban mobility projects in Brazil.

Cette thèse porte sur les liens entre métropolisation, forme urbaine et mobilité dans l’agglomération de Bandung, en Indonésie. Les études sur la corrélation entre forme urbaine et comportement de mobilité manquent des travaux à visée prospective sur les questions liant métropolisation, forme urbaine et mobilité dans les pays en développement. Bandung, est la troisième plus grande agglomération indonésienne. La métropolisation de Bandung s’est produite à la suite d’une forte croissance démographique et économique. L’étalement urbain se traduit à Bandung par un processus de suburbanisation de faible densité, entraînant la diminution des zones agricoles, impactant les déplacements puisque l’étalement urbain cause l’augmentation de la longueur des déplacements. La métropolisation transforme ainsi non seulement les activités, la structure spatiale et la forme urbaine, elle affecte également les pratiques de mobilité. Le changement d'échelle de la ville et l'augmentation de l'activité se traduit ainsi par un accroissement des mobilités et des échanges. Les déplacements évoluent en fonction des échanges des banlieues et des périphéries entre elles et avec la ville-centre, ainsi que des possibilités d’emplois et d’activités offertes par les bassins de vie. Cette thèse explore les comportements de mobilité quotidienne des populations résidant dans la ville-centre de la région métropolitaine de Bandung et en banlieue. Les méthodes employées dans cette étude se fondent sur des analyses qualitatives et quantitatives. Le processus de métropolisation y est envisagé en prenant comme point de départ la demande de mobilité des populations. Les conclusions, qui contredisent plusieurs observations menées dans des pays développés, mettent en évidence le poids des variables socio-économiques dans l’explication des comportements de mobilité. / This doctoral thesis focuses on the links between metropolitanisation, urban form and mobility in Bandung, Indonesia. Studies on the correlation between urban form and mobility behavior are largely developed with the cases of developed countries. However, there is a lack of prospective works on issues linking metropolisation, urban form and mobility in developing countries. Bandung is the third largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with more than 7 millions inhabitants. The metropolisation of Bandung is produced as a result of strong demographic and economic growth. Urban sprawl is reflected in Bandung by a process of low-density suburbanisation, resulting in the reduction of agricultural areas, impacting displacements as urban sprawl causes the increase in the length of displacements. Metropolisation thus transforms not only activities, spatial structure and urban form, but also affects mobility practices. The change of scale of the city and the increase of the activity thus results in an increase of the mobilities and exchanges. Displacements evolve according to the exchanges of the suburbs and the peripheries with each other and with the city-center, as well as possibilities of jobs and activities offered by the ponds of life. This thesis explores the daily mobility behaviors of populations living in the central city of the Bandung metropolitan area and in the suburbs, The methods used in this study are based on qualitative and quantitative analyses. The process of metropolisation is envisaged by taking as a starting point the demand for mobility of the population. The findings of this survey, which contradict several observations in developed countries, highlight the weight of socio-economic variables in explaining mobility behaviors.