Coordinating Transportation and Land Use

ITE JOURNAL / JUNE 2006 INTRODUCTION Throughout the United States, awareness of the critical linkages between transportation and land use is growing. State and regional transportation agencies are realizing that local jurisdictions’ land use decisions can help minimize infrastructure investment needs while improving safety, mobility and accessibility for their customers, the traveling public. Local agencies are looking for state transportation investments that support economic development while preserving the character of their communities and minimizing environmental impacts. Agencies at all levels are finding ways to work cooperatively on transportation and land use planning and decision-making. In June 2004, a cross-section of nine transportation professionals took part in a series of National Site Visits on Transportation and Growth. The site visits were conducted through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, with sponsorship from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The objectives of the visits were: • To identify factors leading to successful practices in transportation–land use integration; • To investigate key challenges and how agencies have worked to overcome these challenges; and • To disseminate these findings to a broader audience.