Geographic Information System Methodology for Assessing Growth Effects of Highway Improvements

Abstract

A methodology is presented to assess the induced land use effects of state highway improvements on urban development patterns. The methodology is applied to the case study city of Hillsboro, Oregon, and illustrates a framework for data management and analysis. Temporal land use characteristics and spatial measures are used as predictors of urban development activities resulting from highway accessibility improvements. A logit regression analysis tests the significance of these variables in predicting the locations of urban development over time. The primary objective of this research is to identify the relationship between capacity-increasing highway improvements and changes in urban development. The analysis provides quantifiable indicators that describe the urban development trends associated with the city of Hillsboro.