Business Logistics 420Urban Transportation

Fall 2000

Lectures 5: Current Urban Development Patterns and the

Transportation Challenge: Edge Cities

Lecture Objectives• Understand the changes that have taken

place in U.S. urban areas from cities with single, strong central city to modern multi-center “Edge Cities”

• Understand the relationship between current Edge City development patterns and transportation options

• Understand public transit’s role in the Edge City environment

Edge Cities• Edge City: Life on the New Frontier by

Joel Garreau, (1992)• Chronicles what he calls the “third wave of urban

development– First – Moved our homes to the suburbs (mainly after

WW II)

– Second – moved shopping/retail to suburbs – the “malling of America” 1960s-1970s

– Now, the third wave, moving jobs to the suburbs and creating Edge Cities

Typical Edge City Locations

Definition of an Edge City• 5 million sq. ft. of leasable office space

(more than downtown Memphis)

• 600,000 sq. ft. retail (large mall with 3 anchor stores and 80-100 total stores)

• More jobs than bedrooms

• Perceived as one place

• Was nothing like a city 30 years ago (King of Prussia near Phila. is example)

Why Edge Cities?• Growth of new industries:service, infor-

mation, high-tech – all “clean” industries

• “White collarization” of the work force

• Aesthetics

• Cost of living

• Quality of life

• Construction costs

What Goes on in the Edge City?Job Distribution

22%

15%

14%13%

12%

20%4%

Clerical Administration ManagementManufacturing Sales TechnicalOther

What Goes on in the Edge City?Land Use

59%

5%8%

10%

15% 3%

Office Warehouse ManufacturingResidential Retail Other

Two Immutable Rules Define Edge Cities

• Americans will not walk more than 600 ft. without getting into a car

• To park a car takes 400 sq. ft.

Typical Zoning Rules Dictate Shape of Edge City

• One parking space must be provided for each employee

• A typical office requires about 250 sq. ft. and then 400 sq. ft. for parking the car

• Parking is the key “Parking is the pivot of urbanity and civilization…. The measure of time, individualism, civilization.

Parking + Floor Area Ratio Defines the Edge City

• Floor Area Ratio – FAR – is the ratio of the building floor area divided by the land area– For example, a single story building of 4,000

sq ft on a 10,000 sq ft lot = .4 FAR– Since each 250 sq. ft. of office requires 400 sq.

ft. of parking, .4 is the maximum FAR for one-story construction and surface parking

DENSITY DENSITY is the Key to the Functioning of the Edge City

• Low Density– Surface parking ($3,000 - $5,000/space)

– Automobile is the only choice to and within the Edge City

– Lack of amenities, diversity of activities

• High Density– Parking in structures ($10,000 - $20,000/space)

– Transit feasible and demand management used

– Variety of activities

– Walking and people movers are possible

Transportation and the FARFAR > .25 Congestion becomes noticeable

> .40 Need to construct parking garages

> 1.0 Traffic jams become major political issue

> 1.5 The maximum for an Edge City

> 2.0 Required for light rail to make sense

> 5.0 Typical old downtown

Edge Cities and Transit

• Besides density, light and heavy rail transit require large city size not found in Edge Cities– Heavy rail requires 30 million sq. ft. – the size of

Dallas

– Light rail requires 15 million sq. ft. – the size of downtown New Orleans

• Though not likely to be extremely efficient, rail may have role in Edge City to increase land values, and “civilize” the area

Transportation and the Edge City• Edge Cities present major transportation

challenge– The carcar is the predominant or only choice for

mobility, but too much congestion– Typical transit solutions, i.e., rail transit, or

even high quality bus service, may not be cost effective

• Solutions – either increase density of Edge City so transit “works” or practice Demand Management (or both)

Transportation Demand Management

• In general, make better use of existing capacity of vehicles and roadways– HOV lanes– Additional lanes using shoulders, smaller lanes– Transportation Management Associations (TMA)

• Ridesharing• Flex time

– Pricing• Gas Tax• Parking tax/price• Congestion Pricing

• Provide incentives to ride share, use transit

Study/Thought Questions• Do you agree with Garreau that we as urban

residents know what we are doing as we encourage and live in Edge Cities?

• Identify several positive and negative aspects of the Edge City environment that now exists in the U.S.

• What should government agencies do about congestion around and in Edge Cities?– Nothing– Try to build our way out– Transit at any cost– Other?