A Guidebook for Best Practices on Integrated Land Use and Travel Demand Modeling

US Transportation Collection2014PDFTech ReportGolias, M.Mishra, S.Psarros, I.University of MemphisTennessee. Department of TransportationUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway AdministrationUniversity of MemphisUnited StatesBest practicesHandbooksLand useLand use modelsMetropolitan planning organizationsTransportation planningTravel demandLand use planningIntegrated land use-transportRES2013-46039B268 (FHWA Project No.)Final Report March 2013 \u2013 December 2014The significant increase of automobile use had a major negative impact on the efficiency of transportation systems. This in turn increased the need for more research in transportation planning and travel demand modeling. The development of the first generation of travel demand models started in 1950s in the United States (U.S.) (Southworth, 1995). However, researchers immediately realized the interdependence of transportation and land use as changes in transport systems could affect the patterns of land development. The interdependence of transportation and land use patterns resulted in the development of integrated land use and transportation models. This study provides an overview of land use models\u2019 evolution and develops a guidebook with the best practices for integrated land use-transport modeling. It also suggests the application of a land use model through a demonstrative case study. The developed guidebook includes five different categories (i.e., generations) of land use models. Three models (UrbanSim, Production, Exchange and Consumption Allocation System (PECAS) and Gravity Land Use Model (G-LUM)) are selected for further evaluation. The latest land use models and planning tools were evaluated in terms of geographical coverage, spatial detail, incorporation of freight, integration with travel demand models, and considerations of multi-modality and visualization capabilities. At the second part of this study the application of G-LUM land use model at a synthetic case study is described. The model was used to produce forecasts of employment, household and land use change for a prediction period from 2010 to 2035. For a more advanced and detail studies at a regional level, UrbanSim model is suggested. UrbanSim is a micro-simulation model for land use, transportation and environmental planning. It was selected as it promises to provide efficient geographical coverage at the regional level, different spatial detail options (Grid, Parcel and Zone), efficient integration with Travel Demand Models (including both trip based and activity based), and different visualization options for output representation (tables, graphs, animation and lately 3-D representation).110