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Where We Want to Be: Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth
November 2018by: Todd LitmanThis report from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute found that consumer demand for housing in sprawl contexts is declining, while demand for housing in smart growth areas is increasing. -
Protecting Water Resources With Higher Density Development
EPA 231-R-06-001, January 2006This report from the EPA outlines the effects development has on watersheds and examines the differences in impacts stemming from urban form. -
Is Density Detrimental?
Cape Cod Commission Myth or Fact Series, 2009This fact sheet finds that higher density helps to reduce transportation costs paid directly by consumers as well as costs borne by the general public and that higher density is needed to make public transportation efficient. -
Valuing Downtowns: Upward Not Outward is a Smart Revenue Strategy for Local Governments
2013This fact sheet compares tax revenues from public assessors for different types of development in central California. -
Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Smart Growth Policies
July 2008by: Sonoran InstituteThis report is a literature review of the economic impacts of different aspects of urban form. -
The Health Impacts of Urban Form: A Review of Reviews
October 2008This report reviews literature on the relationship between urban form and public health. -
Relationship between urban sprawl and physical activity, obesity, and morbidity – Update and refinement
Health & Place, 26: 118-126, 2014by: Reid Ewing, Gail Meakins, , Arthur Nelson, FAICPThis national study quantified the relationship between urban form and physical activity, obesity, and health. -
The Impact of Urban Form on U.S. Residential Energy Use
Housing Policy Debate, 19(1): 1–30, 2008by: Reid Ewing, Milken InstituteThis article measured how urban form affects energy use by looking at energy requirements of different housing stocks and electric transmission and distribution losses, as well as heating and cooling requirements accompanying urban heat islands. -
Urban Sprawl and the Cost of Public Services
Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 30: 503–522, 2003by: John Carruthers, University of WashingtonThis article looked at data from 283 counties from 1982-92 and created an empirical model to estimate the costs of 12 different expenditures. -
Were Home Prices in New Urbanist Neighborhoods More Resilient in the Recent Housing Downturn?
Journal of Planning Education and Research, 35(1): 5-18, 2015by: Hongwei DongThis article attempts to determine whether or not the great recession had different impacts on home values due to urban form. -
Effects of Built Environments on Vehicle Miles Travelled: Evidence From 370 US Urbanized Areas
Environment and Planning A, 42: 400-418, 2010by: Robert Cervero, Jin MurakamiThis article used structural equation modelling to better understand how different built environments affect vehicle-miles travelled (VMT) per capita in 370 U.S. urbanized areas. -
Conventional Development Versus Managed Growth: The Costs of Sprawl
American Journal of Public Health, 93(9): 1534–1540, 2003by: Robert Burchell, Sahan MukherjiThis article estimated the infrastructural and fiscal savings that can result from “managed growth.” -
Productivity and the Density of Human Capital
Journal of Regional Science, 52(4): 562–586, 2012by: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of MaineThis article used a regression analysis to determine the effects density and urban density have on productivity. -
Does Urban Sprawl Hold Down Upward Mobility?
Landscape and Urban Planning, 148: 80-88, 2016by: Reid Ewing, University of Texas at Arlington, U.S. Geological Survey, University of UtahThis study attempts to determine whether urban form impacts upward economic and social mobility. -
Fairfax County Measures Up: A Manual for Performance Measurement
2007This guidebook has been used to develop and improve goals, objectives, and performance indicators for county budgets. -
A Performance Management Framework for State and Local Government: From Measurement and Reporting to Management and Improving
2010This report examines performance management principles and practices for state and local governments. -
Performance Measurement, Benchmarking & Outcome-Based Budgeting for Wisconsin Local Government
2009by: Alan ProbstThis comprehensive guidebook covers performance measurement and performance-based budgeting. -
Performance Measurement: A Tool for Accountability and Performance Improvement
University of North Carolina School of Government, Article 16, 2007by: David AmmonsThis briefing paper offers a general guide to the importance and value of performance measurements for municipal governments. -
Performance Measure Guide
2009This state-produced guidebook examines why and how to use performance measures in municipal government. -
Nashville-Davidson County, TN, Performance Measure Certification Reports Archive
2006The city’s Office of Financial Accountability reviewed departmental performance measures in annual reports. -
Napa County, CA, Performance Measurement Report
2016The county’s annual performance report evaluates the performance of all city functional areas, departments, and divisions. -
Oklahoma City, OK, Performance Data
2016The city’s performance data website includes links to performance data and strategic business plans for all city departments. -
Las Vegas, NV, Department of Planning Strategic Business Plan
2013This 2013 strategic business plan is from the city’s planning department. -
Wichita, KS, 2015 Performance Measures Report
2016In 2016, the city reviewed data to guide the development of its budget, including performance measures tracked since 2010. -
Greenville County, SC, Performance Measurement Report: Fiscal Year 2016, Fiscal Year 2017
2016The county tracks performance measures for all county offices and departments as part of its budgeting process. -
Lakeland, FL, Annual Budget: FY2017 Budget Documents
2017The city’s 2017 budget includes performance measurement information for the planning and development review functions. -
Fairfax County, VA, FY 2017 Adopted Budget — Budget Narratives
2017The county uses a performance budgeting process for each general fund agency, including planning functions. -
Huntington Beach, CA, Budget and Financial Information
2017The city's FY2016/17 adopted budget includes performance measurement information for the community development department. -
Lincoln, NE, 2008-09 Council Adopted Operating Budget: City/County Planning Department
2009The city’s 2008-2009 budget report included performance measurement information for the planning department. -
Coral Springs, FL, Annual Budget
2017The city’s 2017 adopted budget document lists performance measurement information for the development services department. -
Bellingham, WA, City Budget
2017The city’s 2015-2016 adopted budget provides performance measurement information for the planning department. -
Gallatin County, MT, FY2017 Final Budget
2017The county’s FY2017 final budget includes performance measurement information for the planning department. -
Maricopa County, AZ, Budget Documents
2017The county's 2017 budget strategy includes performance measurement information for the planning department. -
Sunnyvale, CA, Budget Documents
2017The city's 2016/17 budget includes performance measurement information for the community development department, including links to general plan goals. -
Ashland, OR, Community Development Planning Division Operational and Organizational Review
2006by: Zucker SystemsThis audit of Ashland’s community development planning division offers 83 recommendations for improvement. -
Durham, NC, Development Review Process Performance Audit
2015This performance audit by the city’s audit services department makes recommendations to improve operating efficiencies. -
Phoenix, AZ, Annual Budget
2017The city’s FY 2016–2017 annual budget includes performance measurement information for the community development department. -
Topeka, KS, City Budget
2017The city's 2017 budget includes performance measurement information for the planning department. -
Los Angeles, CA, Performance Audit of the Department of City Planning’s Case Processing Function
2005by: Zucker SystemsThe city controller in concert with consultant Zucker Systems audited the department of city planning’s case processing activities. -
Orange County, CA, Performance Audit of Planning and Development Services
2009This audit concludes the Planning and Development Services department is in “critical condition.” -
Los Angeles County, CA, First Last Mile Strategic Plan and Planning Guidelines
Adopted March 2014This functional plan outlines strategies developed by Metro to address first and last-mile challenges and opportunities by creating a Pathway to a more seamless experience for transit users. -
Lee's Summit, MO, Ignite!
Adopted May 2021The city's comprehensive plan encourages multimodal transportation to help increase safe, efficient, and accessible mobility options for users of all ages and abilities. -
Village of Bedford Park, IL, Last Mile Mobility Action Plan
June 2020This functional plan presents strategies to address last-mile connections to work locations in the Village of Bedford Park. -
MTC, CA, Bay Area Carsharing Implementation Strategy
Updated February 2018This functional plan presents strategies to help implement, adopt, and expand carsharing policies and services in San Francisco's Bay Area. -
Bellevue, WA, Smart Mobility Plan
Updated October 2018This functional plan presents an implementation framework with strategies to support adopting innovative mobility technologies and entering partnerships to enhance the existing transportation system. -
Austin, TX, Strategic Mobility Plan
Adopted April 2019This functional plan is the city's comprehensive multimodal transportation strategy developed in partnership with the community to address growing transportation challenges. -
NJTPA, NJ, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) & Mobility Plan
Adopted June 2021This functional plan presents a transportation demand management (TDM) framework to help increase mobility options for transportation users while reducing congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and other harms associated with a high reliance on single-occupancy vehicles. -
Seattle, WA, EVSE Roadmap for Shared Mobility Hubs
Adopted November 2018This functional plan presents innovative strategies to increase the adoption of electric vehicle (EV) technologies in shared mobility services. -
RTD, CO, First and Last Mile Strategic Plan
Updated July 2019This functional plan provides a framework with strategies and recommendations to address first and last-mile connections and improve intermodal connections in the region. -
Prince George's County, MD, Code of Ordinances
Updated August 2021The county’s code of ordinances belongs to the Built Environment and Health and to the Shared Mobility collections.