The Relationship between Urban Density and Roadway Maintenance Costs

Urban land-use planning in the U.S. has traditionally been bas ed on the Euclidean zoning model, the separation of land uses. The long-term impacts of this development pattern, often termed “urban sprawl”, have been a continued source of controversy (1). This research determines if expert opinion regarding sprawl’s negative effects, specifically, that regarding the public/ private capital and operating costs of communities, is applicable to the state of Iowa. These costs are defined as expenditures related to the construction of physical facilities in addition to their annual maintenance. This analysis investigates the relationship between transportation maintenance costs and population density; specifically, are the operating costs (the maintenance costs of streets) of local governments lower, if population density is higher? The study also employs a new measure of density, based on area proximate to streets and highways, developed using a geographic information system. The research indicates population density is not strongly linked to the costs of street maintenance; however, there is relatively little variation in density among Iowa communities. The statistical analyses demonstrate the street maintenance costs do not vary inversely with population density in Central Iowa, as one might expect.