research >>land use and traffic safety

New Project July 2009:

The Effects of Urban Sprawl on Traffic Safety

Studies regarding the impact of urban growth patterns on traffic safety suggest a link between sprawl and traffic fatalities. However, they have examined the impact of only a limited number of factors. They have also not been conducted on a geographic scale small enough to produce sufficient results: small-grain analysis is needed in order to understand the effects of land use patterns.

This work will seek to address these shortcomings by conducting analysis at the Census-tract level using both cross-sectional and time-series analysis paired with Geographical Information Systems (GIS). It will also use Geographical Weighted Regression.

The work is expected to yield (1) an enhanced understanding of how urban growth patterns affect traffic safety by quantifying the impacts of specific elements and (2) insights into what types of planning and policy solutions might be most effective for reducing traffic fatalities and injuries.

Resources

Evaluation of traffic safety in sprawl and urban growth in California metropolitan areas
John M. Bigham, Kitae Jang, Ki Han Song, Traffic Safety Center, Shin Hyoung Park, Seoul National University, David R. Ragland, Traffic Safety Center
Presentation at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, November 7-11, 2009, Philadelphia.