Question

Suggestions please.

Land use and transport infrastructure relationship: what method(s) and factors (variables) to be considered when measuring accessibility of activities (education, hospital, shopping mall, employmeny, etc) in regional (suburb) and urban areas using transport network (railway).

Answer 1

FACTORS TO CONSIDER DURING SELECTION OF BUILDING SITE

Natural defects of a site will involve considerable expenditure on construction and maintenance of the building. While unsatisfactory conditions in the neighborhood of locality will cause unhappy living conditions on one hand and possible deterioration of the value of property on the other.

Therefore the following general factors should be considered while selecting a site for building construction.

1. PURPOSE OF BUILDING

This is the most important factor to consider before purchasing or selecting a site for residential purpose. The site should be selected keeping in view the general scope or the purpose of building and on the basis of extent or privacy required.

2. FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD

The site should be situated in locality which is already fully developed or which is fast developing. To secure happy living conditions, generally such neighborhood is preferred where the neighbors belong to an equal status in society and who should be social and friendly.

3. AVAILABLE FACILITIES

The plot should be in a locality where the various facilities as mentioned below are available.

• Community services such as police and fire protection, clearing of waste and street cleaning
• Utility services such as water supply, gas, electricity, and drainage
• Amenities such as schools, hospitals, libraries, recreation, telephone, etc
• Shopping facilities
• Means of transportation

4. GOVERNMENT LAWS

A site which comes within the limits of an area where the by-laws of the local authority enforce restrictions regarding proportions of plots to be built up, vacant spaces to be left in front and sides, heights of buildings, etc., should be preferred.

5. SHAPE & SIZE

Area of the plot of land should be such that the house constructed, keeping in view the restrictions of the local authority, would meet the requirements of the owner, preferably with possibilities of future extensions. The site should not be irregular in shape or having any sharp corners.

6. TERRAIN CONDITION

The site should be situated on an elevated place and also leveled with uniform slopes from one end to the other so as to provide good and quick drainage of rain water.

7. TYPE OF GROUND SOIL

The ground soil of the site should be good enough to provide economical foundations for the intended building without causing and problems. Generally, for most satisfactory constructions, the site should have rock, sand or dense soil below 60 to 120 cm layer of light soil or even black cotton soil.

8. NATURAL LIGHT & AIR

The location of the site should be such as to ensure unobstructed natural light and air.

9. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION

The site should be available in a locality where natural beauty and man-made environment create healthy living and working conditions. Environment also affected by nearest factories, kiln etc: so these thing also need to be considered.

10. LEGAL & FINANCIAL ASPECTS

The legal and financial aspects, which dictate upon ownership rights and the costs, should be given due consideration before the purchase of a plot.

11. OTHER FACTORS

A site should be abandoned under adverse circumstances such as unhealthy, noisy or crowded localities; immediate neighborhood or rivers carrying heavy floods, badly maintained drains; reclaimed soils or water logged areas, subject to submergence or settlement and; industrial vicinity having smoke and obnoxious odors

The transportation community needs better information on ways to handle this growing population that better account for, respond to, and, where possible, avoid transportation-related environmental impacts.

and Use –Transportation and the Master Plan Local Master Plans describe a community’s vision for the future and how it plans to achieve that vision. There are several ways in which the Master Plan can address land use and transportation issues and establish a basis for future development. Begin by adding a transportation section to your Master Plan. A welldeveloped transportation section will define how the community’s transportation system relates to the regional system, the vision for growth, and the intended function of the local transportation network. The transportation section for a Master Plan might include:

• Policies (i.e. what you want to achieve or commitments to do something—in the form of goals, principles and standards).
• Implementation Strategies (i.e. how you intend to achieve it).
• Background research and analysis for the policies and implementation programs (located in the Master Plan Appendix) including:

• Description of existing conditions: types of roads; public transportation; location and condition of transportation facilities, bike routes, and sidewalks; the community’s place in the region; and issues of regional concern. • Traffic counts for major roads and intersections.

• Identification of Scenic Roads under RSA 231:157. Are any community roads being considered for Scenic Road designation?

• Description of existing sidewalk and trail network. Whom do they service and what is their condition?

• Identification of current problems with access (driveways) on roadways by examining accident patterns.

• Consideration of Master Plan land uses, zoning, and current land use as it relates to the intended function of a roadway.

• Identification of nodal development / zoning strategies to limit the amount of development along less developed, rural roads.

• Incorporation of access management strategies as part of site plan review and subdivision regulations to ensure that development along highways does not significantly reduce traffic safety and carrying capacity.

• Recommendation for traffic impact analysis for all Site Plan Review and Subdivision applications exceeding a prescribed threshold. To link transportation and land use, a Master Plan’s land use section should consider roadways as a type of land use. Development and zoning decisions should consider the existing capacity and intended function of a roadway and recognize the impact development will have on the transportation system and facilities.

Land Use - Transportation Implementation Strategies

Improved integration of land use and transportation planning can reduce the need for highway expansion and maintain the quality of our communities. Three cost-effective strategies useful for integrating land use with transportation are: Nodal Development/Zoning, Livable Walkable Communities, and Access Management. Individually or together, these strategies can significantly improve your community. Nodal Development/Zoning concentrates development (e.g., creates a village) to encourage walking or bicycle use so that land between nodes can be used for low density, low traffic land uses. Livable Walkable Communities are municipalities that provide facilities to promote walking, bicycling, services, and activities that promote a healthier lifestyle. Access Management is the ability to control the number and location of access points to a property. Adopting these strategies in your Master Plan as land use and transportation policies and in your Zoning Ordinance as development standards, and implementing them via site plan and subdivision plan review will significantly improve your community.

Land Use Impact Evaluation Criteria

economic	soical	environmental
Value of land devoted to transportation facilities. Land use accessibility. Transportation costs. Property values. Crash damages. Costs to provide public services. Economic development and productivity. Stormwater management costs.	Relative accessibility for different groups of people – impacts on equity and opportunity. Community cohesion. Housing affordability. Cultural resources (e.g., heritage buildings). Traffic accidents. Public health (physical fitness). Aesthetic impacts	Greenspace and wildlife habitat. Hydrologic impacts. Heat island effects. Energy consumption. Pollution emissions.