The Value of Livable Communities

A community's economy, mobility, and livability are influenced by transportation. But what is it that makes a particular transportation infrastructure more livable than another? Researchers at the Center for Transportation and Livable Systems (CTLS) at the University of  Connecticut (UConn), working with economists at Clark University in Worcester, MA, set out to answer this question. During the last 2 years, CTLS has studied what features people most value in environments defined by transportation systems. 

The first task for CTLS researchers was to identify a set of well-established elements of the built environment that signify a livable place within a community. These include reduced building setbacks, roadway greenery, good lighting, wide sidewalks, narrower streets, and on-street parking.