This is my second in a series of blogs discussing Communities in Motion 2040 and the relationship between transportation and other issues discussed in the
plan. I posted my first blog in this series (transportation and land use) on January
14, 2013, (see below). Today I am discussing transportation and housing.
Linking transportation and housing planning together is
essential, since home is either the origin or destination for most personal
trips. Also, transportation and housing are two of the largest household
expenses. When the first national household expenditure surveys were conducted
in 1901, transportation accounted for less than 2% of the family budget. Now it
is 18% and rising.* As families spend
more on getting around, they have less money available to save for a down
payment on a house and can also have more debt that will hurt their chances for
mortgage approval.
The transportation system also affects where housing is
built and where people are able to live. People need to locate where they can
get from place to place and access jobs and services. Further, public
investments in transportation guide developers in where they choose to build
housing. An investment in a new road or rail line encourages housing
developments along that route, particularly if surrounding land is inexpensive.
Similarly, development patterns can impact the need for, and
viability of, transit services. Higher density housing, such as apartments,
condos, or homes on small lots, lends itself to transit services, while
dispersed housing does not. Additionally, lower income neighborhoods can have
greater need for transit than higher income ones.
One of the biggest planning challenges local officials and
the region face is how to make the best land use decisions with regard to
transportation and housing. Being able to look at housing and transportation
development together can help improve decisions that will create communities
that meet current needs and are flexible enough to adapt for future growth.
When transportation and housing are coordinated, communities
benefit from less traffic congestion and air pollution, lower costs for housing
and transportation, lower labor costs, preservation of open space and community
character, more efficient and environmentally-friendly land uses, and greater choices
in development patterns, housing types, and transportation options. Through Communities in Motion 2040, COMPASS is
striving to facilitate this coordination to achieve these benefits as the
Treasure Valley prepares for the future.
*Better Coordination of Transportation
and Housing Programs to Promote Affordable Housing Near Transit. US DOT-FTA and
HUD, August 2008. http://huduser.org/portal/publications/better_coordination.pdf
