University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 10-27-2014 Accessibility's Influence on Population Location near Light Rail in the Denver Region Christophe Michael Zuppa University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Public Administration Commons, and the Transportation Commons Scholar Commons Citation Zuppa, Christophe Michael, "Accessibility's Influence on Population Location near Light Rail in the Denver Region" (2014). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5441 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Accessibility’s Influence on Population Location near Light Rail in the Denver Region by Chris Zuppa A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning Department of Public Administration College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Ambe Njoh, Ph.D. Elizabeth Strom, Ph.D. Abdul Pinjari, Ph.D. Joni Downs, Ph.D. Date of Approval: October 27, 2014 Keywords: Transit, Transit Oriented Development, TOD, Sprawl, Jobs, Streetcar Copyright © 2014, Chris Zuppa DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my father, Theodore C. Zuppa, who committed his professional and personal life to education. A humble librarian, dad and (and mom) sacrificed personal wants to put my sister and me through college debt-free. Like all good parents, he always believed in me. He also believed that a good education unlocked doors leading to new opportunities in life. I miss you dad. Others deserve credit for helping me along the way, too. My mother, Evon R. Zuppa, and mother-in-law, Joan Conner, provided financial assistance for this degree. More importantly, my wife, Kristin Zuppa, deserves eternal thanks. She listened to my worry, gripes, and doubt. She stood by me during my worst moments of frustration and stress, she herself not once complaining about my failing to chip in to do my part around the house. Indeed, Kristin kept the Zuppa household going. To her and our boys, Eli and Simon, I love you. They say it takes a village to raise a child. It certainly took a village to get this middle-aged dad through graduate school. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To my committee, thank you. I am grateful to Dr. Ambe Njoh, who served as my major professor and taught me my first planning course: Planning History and Theory. In that class and by his example, Dr. Njoh showed me that planners can be advocates for the less fortunate. Dr. Elizabeth Strom has been my guide since before the program began. Her assistance and gentle nudging kept me on track to graduate. Dr. Abdul Pinjari welcomed this planner in training to his engineering classes. He is a patient, passionate teacher who provided needed technical assistance. Dr. Joni Downs gave me a wonderful foundation for understanding how Geographic Information Systems work. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Scott Ramming with the Denver Regional Council of Governments, who provided data for this thesis. To all, thank you. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................................v Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 Defining Light Rail ..............................................................................................................2 A Brief History of Light Rail ...............................................................................................5 American Suburbanization and Transportation .................................................................11 Transit Oriented Development and Suburbia ....................................................................14 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................17 Chapter Two: Accessibility: Theory and Practice .........................................................................18 Accessibility: Social Context .............................................................................................19 Measuring Accessibility: Perspective on Theory and Practice ..........................................21 Gravity Measures ...................................................................................................24 Cumulative Opportunities ......................................................................................26 Utility-Based Measures ..........................................................................................28 Time-Space Geography .........................................................................................29 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................30 Chapter Three: Literature Review .................................................................................................35 Rail Transit and Accessibility: Debates within the Literature ...........................................36 Rail Transit’s Influence on Accessibility ...........................................................................39 Historical Evidence ................................................................................................41 Accessibility: Land Use Influence over Transportation ........................................43 Accessibility: Rail Transit Influence on Land Use ................................................47 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................54 Chapter Four: Methodology ...........................................................................................................56 Study Area .........................................................................................................................56 Study Corridors ..................................................................................................................60 Central Corridor .....................................................................................................61 Central Platte Valley Corridor ...............................................................................61 Southeast Corridor .................................................................................................61 Southwest Corridor ................................................................................................62 I-25 .........................................................................................................................62 Research Question, Hypotheses, and Operational Definition ............................................66 Data Sources and Management ..........................................................................................67 i Study Design and Limitations ............................................................................................69 Spatial Analysis: Contingency Tables ...................................................................71 Spatial Analysis: Linear Regression ......................................................................73 Travel Time Assumptions ......................................................................................80 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................80 Chapter Five: Discussion and Results............................................................................................82 Results: Contingency Tables..............................................................................................83 Results: Linear Regression ................................................................................................89 Model 1 Interpretation ...........................................................................................89 Model 2 Interpretation ...........................................................................................91 Model 3 Interpretation ...........................................................................................91 Model 4 Interpretation ...........................................................................................92 Model 5 Interpretation ...........................................................................................92 Discussion of Findings .......................................................................................................92 Accessibility to the Central Business District ........................................................93 Accessibility to Jobs ..............................................................................................94 Economic Indicators ..............................................................................................98