An Exploration of Business Location Changes Accompanying Commuter Rail Development in Denton, Texas." Papers in Applied Geography 36 (2013): 218- 89
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RETAIL CHANGE AND LIGHT RAIL: AN EXPLORATION OF BUSINESS LOCATION CHANGES ACCOMPANYING COMMUTER RAIL DEVELOPMENT IN DENTON COUNTY, TEXAS Trevor S. Yarbrough, B.A. Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2014 APPROVED: Murray Rice, Major Professor Matthew Fry, Committee Member Chetan Tiwari, Committee Member Paul Hudak, Chair of the Department of Geography Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Yarbrough, Trevor S. Retail Change and Light Rail: An Exploration of Business Location Changes Accompanying Commuter Rail Development in Denton County, Texas. Master of Science (Applied Geography), August 2014, 94 pp., 7 tables, 35 figures, references, 46 titles. Within the past few decades, commuter rail routes in several major metropolitan areas have been implemented to provide an alternative to automobile transportation. Urban planners in these cities are looking to commuter rail to mitigate congestion and pollution. However, research on the impacts of commuter rail development on the surrounding retail landscape is still needed. In metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, the Denton County Transportation Authority recently opened its new A-Train light rail service linking suburban Denton and downtown Dallas. This thesis examines urban changes that occurred in the years before and after the A-Train line's 2011 opening, with a focus on restaurant and retail development in the vicinity of the A-Train stations in Denton County. This analysis evaluates changes in retail density and type, the population surrounding stations, and municipal initiatives that shape the retail landscape of station vicinities. This was done by gathering field data, retailer listings, population data, and conducting interviews with local businesses and city planners. The findings suggest that A-train stations have had a differential impact on the surrounding landscape, depending on the existing retail landscape, the types of retailers present, and the current state of municipal infrastructure that promotes accessibility. Overall, results suggest that urban planners play a vital role in harnessing the potential of commuter rail to promote nearby retail growth. Copyright 2014 by Trevor S. Yarbrough ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge several people whose counsel and support has made this research endeavor possible. First, I would like to thank Dr. Murray Rice for his insight and guidance through the course of this research. I am blessed to have the opportunity to work with a major professor who is consistently encouraging, patient, and willing to help. Without his counsel and our exchange of ideas, this thesis research would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Matthew Fry and Dr. Chetan Tiwari, who both contributed unique and helpful insights that strengthened my research. To my fellow graduate students, the faculty, and staff of the UNT geography department, thank you for being a wonderful support system over the course of the past two years. A special thank you to fellow urban/business geographers Amanda Regan and Owen Wilson-Chavez for their time in giving advice and guidance from their experiences. The dedication and selflessness of the UNT Geography Department have made it an excellent place to pursue my passion for Geography. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for believing in me and giving me the strength needed to bring this research to fruition. To my parents, thank you for your unconditional love and encouragement, without which I would not be in graduate school. To my best friends Nick Bigham, Bry Robinson, Clay Schewe, Nick Soliz, and Vernon Titcomb, thank you for being patient with me through the successes and failures of this process and always having faith in me. I am extremely blessed to have the best family and friends I could ever ask for. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................. 4 Commuter Rail and Urban Planning ..................................................................... 4 Transportation and Accessibility ........................................................................... 9 Retail Accessibility and Agglomeration ............................................................... 13 Summary ............................................................................................................ 15 CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN ....................................... 19 Study Areas ........................................................................................................ 19 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 21 Data Collection and Analysis .............................................................................. 23 CHAPTER IV. RESULTS .............................................................................................. 32 Retail Landscape Changes ................................................................................ 32 Population Analysis of Study Areas .................................................................... 40 Municipal Initiatives and Retail Density .............................................................. 42 Site Survey Results ............................................................................................ 42 Interview Results ................................................................................................ 47 CHAPTER V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ........................................................ 54 Summary ............................................................................................................ 54 Implications......................................................................................................... 60 Recommendations .............................................................................................. 62 Future Research ................................................................................................. 63 APPENDIX A. RETAILER INTERVIEW FORM ............................................................. 66 APPENDIX B. SITE SURVEY FORM............................................................................ 68 iv APPENDIX C. RESULTS OF NEAREST NEIGHBOR ANALYSES .............................. 71 APPENDIX D. CITY PLANNER INTERVIEW FORM .................................................... 75 APPENDIX E. BIVARIATE CORRELATION TEST RESULTS ...................................... 77 APPENDIX F. INITIAL MULTIPLE REGRESSION RESULTS ...................................... 79 APPENDIX G. FINAL MULTIPLE REGRESSION RESULTS ....................................... 82 APPENDIX H. STEPWISE MULTIPLE REGRESSION RESULTS ............................... 85 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 91 v LIST OF TABLES Page 1: Site Survey Inquiries ........................................................................................... 29 2: Results of Nearest Neighbor Analysis ................................................................ 32 3: Net Change by Business Type for the Downtown Denton Study Area ............... 37 4: Net Change by Business Type for the Old Town Lewisville Study Area ............. 38 5: Results of Business Interviews ........................................................................... 39 6: Population Change in Study Areas, 2008 – 2012 ............................................... 41 7: Variables of Regression Entry ............................................................................ 44 vi LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. DCTA A-train stations (source: Denton County Transportation Authority). ......... 20 2. Street face example. ........................................................................................... 28 3. 2004 business point data for the downtown Denton study area. ........................ 33 4. 2008 business point data for the downtown Denton study area. ........................ 34 5. 2012 business point data for the downtown Denton study area. ........................ 35 6. 2004 business point data for the Old Town Lewisville study area. ..................... 36 7. 2012 business point data for the Old Town Lewisville study area ...................... 36 8. City zoning around A-train stations (City of Denton) ........................................... 48 9. Old Town Park Plaza construction photo ............................................................ 51 10. Construction sign of Hebron 121 station ............................................................. 52 11. Hebron 121 station development map ................................................................ 52 12. Completed Hebron 121 station multifamily housing ............................................ 53 C.1. Nearest neighbor results for downtown Denton 2004 data. ................................ 72 C.2. Nearest neighbor