- Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
gerrit knaap
University of Maryland, Urban Studies and Planning, Faculty Member
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Concern among state legislators about rural development and rural land use is not new. In many states, agriculture remains an important feature of the economic, cultural, and political landscape. As rural incomes, populations, and... more
Concern among state legislators about rural development and rural land use is not new. In many states, agriculture remains an important feature of the economic, cultural, and political landscape. As rural incomes, populations, and prosperity have declined, states have adopted a variety of policies in response. Rural land and development policies in most states, however, are often more symbolic than influential, poorly integrated, and grossly misguided (Audirac, 1997). For rural areas, very few states mandate or facilitate rural comprehensive planning, often due to opposition from rural legislators. Farmlands (cropland and grazing land) constitute the largest share of land use by acreage in the country and have an even higher share in the rural areas (USDA, 2000). Although a relatively smaller and decreasing part of the overall economy, farmland uses employ 21 percent of the nation's workforce (including processing, wholesale and retail trade of farming goods) and about 7 percent...
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This paper aims to find whether all transit-oriented development (TOD) can reduce travel distance and vehicle travels while increasing transit ridership, and which has a greater impact on transportation focus on housing policy or job... more
This paper aims to find whether all transit-oriented development (TOD) can reduce travel distance and vehicle travels while increasing transit ridership, and which has a greater impact on transportation focus on housing policy or job location. The authors compare the impact of different TOD scenarios and measure the elasticity of travel demand as a result of the household or (and) employment growth reallocating into transit areas. The authors obtain the results using a validated transportation demand model (MSTM) for Maryland and future growth in 2030. The results suggest that TOD is effective in increasing transit mode share and decreasing vehicle miles traveled; but only some can shorten trip distance. The authors find (1) relocating employment can increase transit mode share more than relocating households and (2) relocating employment increases total average trip length, while relocating households alone tends to decrease trip length.
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The objective of the COMPASS project was to provide an authoritative comparative report on changes in territorial governance and spatial planning systems in Europe from 2000 to 2016. This Final Report presents the main findings,... more
The objective of the COMPASS project was to provide an authoritative comparative report on changes in territorial governance and spatial planning systems in Europe from 2000 to 2016. This Final Report presents the main findings, conclusions and policy recommendations. The COMPASS project compares territorial governance and spatial planning in 32 European countries (the 28 EU member states plus four ESPON partner countries). COMPASS differs from previous studies in that the accent is not on a snapshot comparison of national systems, but on identifying trends in reforms from 2000 to 2016. It also seeks to give reasons for these changes with particular reference to EU directives and policies, and to identify good practices for the cross-fertilisation of spatial development policies with EU Cohesion Policy. The research is based on expert knowledge with reference wherever possible to authoritative sources. Experts with in-depth experience of each national system were appointed to contri...
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By most measures, Illinois is a large but slow-growing state. Its land area includes 35.6 million acres and its 1999 population is estimated at 12.1 million people. Between 1980 and 1999, the population of Illinois grew by 701,000, or 5.8... more
By most measures, Illinois is a large but slow-growing state. Its land area includes 35.6 million acres and its 1999 population is estimated at 12.1 million people. Between 1980 and 1999, the population of Illinois grew by 701,000, or 5.8 percent.1 But statewide population and population density figures mask a significant spatial reconfiguration of the Illinois landscape. Between 1980 and 1999, the population of 12 Illinois counties grew by more than 20 percent while the population of 61 counties declined. The population of McHenry, Illinois ’ fastest growing county, grew 67 percent; the population of Alexander, the slowest growing county, declined 19 percent. Between 1960 and 1990, the Chicago metropolitan area, the state’s largest, grew 14 percent in population while its land area grew 66 percent; Champaign-Urbana, one of the state’s smallest metropolitan areas, grew 48 percent in population while its land area grew 159 percent (APA 1998). According to the Natural Resources Conser...
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The “Sustainable neighborhoods” has become widely proposed objective of urban planners, scholars, and local government agencies. However, after decades of discussion, there is still no consensus on the definition of sustainable... more
The “Sustainable neighborhoods” has become widely proposed objective of urban planners, scholars, and local government agencies. However, after decades of discussion, there is still no consensus on the definition of sustainable neighborhoods (Sawicki and Flynn, 1996; Dluhy and Swartz 2006; Song and Knaap,2007; Galster 2010). To gain new information on this issue, this paper develops a quantitative method for classifying neighborhood types. It starts by measuring a set of more than 100 neighborhood sustainable indicators. The initial set of indicators includes education, housing, neighborhood quality and social capital, neighborhood environment and health, employment and transportation. Data are gathered from various sources, including the National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) data inventory, U.S. Census, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many government agencies and private vendors. GIS mapping is used to visualize and identify variations in...
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... Nikhil Kaza†, Gerrit Knaap†,, Douglas Meade†,†, ... Tool) model is unique among large-scale models of the US economy in that it is based on an input-output core, and builds up macroeconomic forecasts from the bottom up (see eg Meade,... more
... Nikhil Kaza†, Gerrit Knaap†,, Douglas Meade†,†, ... Tool) model is unique among large-scale models of the US economy in that it is based on an input-output core, and builds up macroeconomic forecasts from the bottom up (see eg Meade, 2001; McCarthy 1991) Investments ...
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1 2 Urban form studies have generally used regional density vs. sprawl land use scenarios to assess 3 travel behavior outcomes. The more nuanced but nonetheless important allocation of jobs and 4 housing and their relationship to each... more
1 2 Urban form studies have generally used regional density vs. sprawl land use scenarios to assess 3 travel behavior outcomes. The more nuanced but nonetheless important allocation of jobs and 4 housing and their relationship to each other as a factor in travel behavior has received much less 5 attention. That relationship is explored in this state-wide urban form study for Maryland. This is 6 a state where county land use has a long tradition of growth management, but one whose 7 regional and statewide implications have not been evaluated. How does a continuation of the 8 County level smart growth regime play out statewide compared to other scenarios of job and 9 housing distribution that are driven by higher driving costs or transit oriented development goals 10 or local zoning rather than local policy-driven projections? Answers are provided through the 11 application of a new statewide travel demand model. The findings suggest that the debate should 12 move beyond walkability, ...
... To address these problems, the students referenced the smart growth principles espoused bySmart Growth America and the smart growth policies adopted by the state of Maryland. Based on these, the students of-fered the advisory group... more
... To address these problems, the students referenced the smart growth principles espoused bySmart Growth America and the smart growth policies adopted by the state of Maryland. Based on these, the students of-fered the advisory group three scenariosA Great Place to Live ...
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Although state and local growth management programs vary widely, nearly all such programs include one common feature: they require local governments to plan. While there has been extensive research on the effects of growth management in... more
Although state and local growth management programs vary widely, nearly all such programs include one common feature: they require local governments to plan. While there has been extensive research on the effects of growth management in general and on specific policy instruments to manage urban growth there has been little research on the effects of planning. In this paper we present a game-theoretic model of urban development in which a rational local government plans. The model illustrates how planning can serve to guide local government decision making, how land market participants might respond to local government plans, and how planning in a dynamic context can increase social welfare. By considering local government as a player who plans rather than as an external disturbance that might regulate, we can discover insights and frame hypotheses about the efficacy of planning that are not possible in other urban economic models.
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Using data on vacant land sales in Washington County, Oregon, the authors find that plans for light rail investments have positive effects on land values in proposed station areas. These findings suggest that such capitalization is likely... more
Using data on vacant land sales in Washington County, Oregon, the authors find that plans for light rail investments have positive effects on land values in proposed station areas. These findings suggest that such capitalization is likely to discourage the development of low-density housing in station areas and encourage high-density, transportation-oriented development. More important, the results provide support for a model in which planning is rational behavior by a local government and that plans—independent of regulations— can be used to alter urban development patterns for the purpose of increasing social welfare. To the extent that these results hold more generally, these results suggest that plans indeed matter.
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... Investment in new housing and housing rehabilitation has been another long-standing neighborhood revitalization strategy used by governments and nonprofit organizations. ... These descriptive statistics characterize a housing stock... more
... Investment in new housing and housing rehabilitation has been another long-standing neighborhood revitalization strategy used by governments and nonprofit organizations. ... These descriptive statistics characterize a housing stock typical of an old central city in the ...
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... Contents Fotewotd/RAVINDER K. JAIN xi Acknowledgments xiii INTRODUCTION: Envitonmental Ptogtam Evaluation: Ftaming the Subject, Identifying Issues ... of Chemical Indexes in Envitonmental Ptogtam Evaluation/ROGER A. MINEAR AND MARK A.... more
... Contents Fotewotd/RAVINDER K. JAIN xi Acknowledgments xiii INTRODUCTION: Envitonmental Ptogtam Evaluation: Ftaming the Subject, Identifying Issues ... of Chemical Indexes in Envitonmental Ptogtam Evaluation/ROGER A. MINEAR AND MARK A. NANNY 129 Evolution of ...
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The cost of travel, which depends largely on fuel prices, can have a significant effect on the allocation of land use, the amount of travel, selected modes, and route choice. With the volatility of energy prices during the past several... more
The cost of travel, which depends largely on fuel prices, can have a significant effect on the allocation of land use, the amount of travel, selected modes, and route choice. With the volatility of energy prices during the past several decades, the growing instability of energy supply—both domestic and foreign—and ever-growing demand, it is difficult to predict fuel prices and thus the cost of travel. To begin to grapple with such uncertainty, planners must understand the potential effects of energy prices. With a knowledge of these effects, better planning can be achieved to accommodate the likely outcomes. This paper investigates the effects of increased fuel prices on the performance of future transportation systems by using an integrated land use and transportation model. Several scenarios build on national macroeconomic forecasts of changes in household and employment allocations with future transportation network improvements, modeled for 2030 in the capital megaregion area. T...
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Using MD Property View database on 15 counties in Maryland in the U.S., this study attempts to explore the estimation process on the housing development capacity under the Maryland’s urban growth management policy known as the Smart... more
Using MD Property View database on 15 counties in Maryland in the U.S., this study attempts to explore the estimation process on the housing development capacity under the Maryland’s urban growth management policy known as the Smart Growth Initiatives. This study also seeks to draw the implications of the estimated development capacity by individual counties on successful implementation of the urban growth management policy. The finding shows that this region has land for residential use enough to accommodate growth for the next 30 years. However, contrary to the goal of the Smart Growth Initiatives, a majority of development capacity is located not only outside the Priority Funding Area designated by the Smart Growth Initiatives but also at counties that are located far away from the major metropolitan area. In addressing this problem, the state does not need to either abolish or immediately expand the Priority Funding Area. Rather, the state requires local governments to include h...
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Identification of a key indicators capturing essential patterns in a region can be a cost-effective solution for neighborhood classification and targeted policy making. Yet, such a “core” set of indicators can vary from region to region.... more
Identification of a key indicators capturing essential patterns in a region can be a cost-effective solution for neighborhood classification and targeted policy making. Yet, such a “core” set of indicators can vary from region to region. Here, we define set of indicators measuring education, housing, accessibility, and employment which can be used to classify neighborhoods. We test these indicators in two study regions: the Baltimore Metropolitan Area and the Greater Dublin Region. We apply factor analysis to distill indicators to smaller sets that capture differences in neighborhood types in terms of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. We use factors loadings in cluster analyzes to identify unique neighborhood types spatially. Comparison of the core set of indicators and clustering patterns for case study regions sheds new lights on the important factors for both regions. The proposed approach will help compare variations in neighborhood types between and within differe...
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Research Interests: Business and Urban Growth
During the economic boom of the 1990s, developers and builders urbanized unprecedented amounts of rural land throughout the United States. They also redeveloped downtowns in cities that had been all but written off as dead only a decade... more
During the economic boom of the 1990s, developers and builders urbanized unprecedented amounts of rural land throughout the United States. They also redeveloped downtowns in cities that had been all but written off as dead only a decade earlier. Land use planners, ...
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Introduction: Why Explore Smart Growth from a Trans-Atlantic Perspective? Part I: Urban Containment Part II: Mixed Use Part III: Affordable Housing Part IV: Transit-Oriented Development Part V: Healthy Urban Design Part VI: Smart Growth... more
Introduction: Why Explore Smart Growth from a Trans-Atlantic Perspective? Part I: Urban Containment Part II: Mixed Use Part III: Affordable Housing Part IV: Transit-Oriented Development Part V: Healthy Urban Design Part VI: Smart Growth Implementation Conclusion: A Retrospective and a Call for More Trans-Atlantic Research.
... Bento et al (2002) find that jobs-housing balance, population centrality, and rail miles ... of socio economic characteristics; Mode choices depend on both socio economic characteristics and the ... land use strategy that reduces... more
... Bento et al (2002) find that jobs-housing balance, population centrality, and rail miles ... of socio economic characteristics; Mode choices depend on both socio economic characteristics and the ... land use strategy that reduces vehicle miles traveled by car is traffic calming that is ...
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To inform metropolitan land use planning, this article reviews studies that examine the determinants of residential property values. The review suggests that property values provide a sensitive index of the effects of planning and the... more
To inform metropolitan land use planning, this article reviews studies that examine the determinants of residential property values. The review suggests that property values provide a sensitive index of the effects of planning and the problems planning is designed to address. Furthermore, it reveals that planning can contribute to problems of housing affordability. However, this does not represent prima facie evidence that planning has failed; nor should the potential of such effects preclude the adoption of metropolitan plans. Instead, the evidence suggests that metropolitan planning can contribute to the solution of housing affordability problems as well as to their cause.
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Across the United States, communities are increasingly interested in the spatial structure of opportunity. Recently, several federal programs have promulgated opportunity mapping as a tool to help increase disadvantaged communities’... more
Across the United States, communities are increasingly interested in the spatial structure of opportunity. Recently, several federal programs have promulgated opportunity mapping as a tool to help increase disadvantaged communities’ access to neighborhood opportunity. The increasing institutionalization of opportunity mapping raises questions about how opportunity is defined and by whom. This paper analyzes data from community engagement events held for a regional planning process throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. During these events, over 100 residents were asked what it means to live in neighborhoods that provide opportunity. The results showed similarities as well as remarkable differences in residents’ definitions of opportunity across race, income, and geography. Racial and ethnic minorities, low–income groups, and those living in distressed neighborhoods were more likely to identify job accessibility, employment, and job training as key components of and pathways to ...
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Abstract State attempts to influence land use and development patterns have waxed and waned over the years and vary extensively from state to state. Among the approaches, states have taken toward these ends are the construction, adoption,... more
Abstract State attempts to influence land use and development patterns have waxed and waned over the years and vary extensively from state to state. Among the approaches, states have taken toward these ends are the construction, adoption, and implementation of state ...
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ABSTRACT Background: Evidence suggests that built environment features are associated with physical activity. Much of the previous work has examined discrete features of the environment, however, rather than combining features that may... more
ABSTRACT Background: Evidence suggests that built environment features are associated with physical activity. Much of the previous work has examined discrete features of the environment, however, rather than combining features that may co-exist to form clusters. Objectives: To evaluate the association between physical activity and neighborhoods clustered by land use features. Because the literature is just emerging on these associations in youth, physical activity of adolescents was evaluated. Methods: 23 land use variables (e.g., land use mix, population density, % residential areas within walking distance to a transit route) were collected using GIS methods. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to combine the variables to classify neighborhood tracts of Baltimore, MD into land use clusters. Students recruited from 2 all-city high schools (213 girls; 164 boys) wore Actigraph accelerometers for 7 consecutive days and also completed a survey to assess the context in which physical activity occurred (i.e., type, location, with whom). Daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, adjusted for intensity (METs) occurring outside of school were determined. Home addresses were geocoded and assigned to a land-use cluster. Results: Cluster analysis revealed 4 distinct clusters: Arterial Development, Central Neighborhood, Suburban Residential, and Central Business District. Results will show associations between daily MET-weighted minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity and land use cluster. The most common types and locations of physical activity also will be presented. Data will be presented overall and stratified by sex. Conclusions: The association between physical activity and land use clusters is complex.