Marlon G. Boarnet | University of Southern California (original) (raw)

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Papers by Marlon G. Boarnet

Metropolitan areas in the U.S. have become increasingly polycentric. Large employment subcenters ... more Metropolitan areas in the U.S. have become increasingly polycentric. Large employment subcenters have emerged outside of central cities, competing against the traditional city center for labor and businesses. The existing literature on land use and transportation focuses on passenger travel, providing little insight into the impact of polycentric metropolitan development patterns on freight activity. In this study, we use the Los Angeles region as a case study to examine the relationship between urban spatial development patterns and freight travel. Using the National Employment Time Series (NETS) data, we identify employment subcenters in metropolitan Los Angeles. We characterize freight activities associated with the subcenters using data from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). We develop a regression model that estimates freight activity as a function of geographic characteristics, such as whether a location is in an employment subcenter, measures of nearby employment, access to the highway network, and proximity to intermodal freight facilities. The results indicate that employment is an important driver of freight activity; however, employment subcenters have an independent effect on freight activity. The results of this study suggest that further research on urban spatial structure and freight activity should assess the effects of employment subcenters and how their particular employment composition and characteristics are associated with freight activities at the metropolitan level. Such an approach would lead to more precise policy recommendations for urban goods movement.

Journal of Urban Economics, 2015

ABSTRACT We empirically test two hypotheses: (1) that gender differences in income earning potent... more ABSTRACT We empirically test two hypotheses: (1) that gender differences in income earning potential play a role in the within-household division of non-work travel and (2) that compact land use development can reduce the within-household gender gap in non-work travel. Using the 2001 Southern California Household Travel Survey, we find that non-work travel patterns for men and women do not vary much by gender unless children are in the household. Households with children display a striking difference in chauffeuring trips and women bear most of the chauffeuring burden. Adjusting for sociodemographics, women in households with children take over 300% more chauffeuring trips than do men living alone. The difference in chauffeuring trips among females and males within the household, the “within-household, female-male chauffeuring gap”, is larger for households with employed males and smaller in households with employed females. The chauffeuring gap is smaller when the woman’s earning power is larger compared to the man in the same household. The chauffeuring gap is larger for households that have higher amounts of single family residential land use in the quarter-mile area around their residence, and the chauffeuring gap is larger for households that live farther than a half mile from the nearest bus stop. The magnitude of the effect of those two land use variables on the chauffeuring gap is similar to the magnitude of variables that measure within-household differences in income-earning potential or female and male employment status, suggesting that more dense land use and better transit service can help reduce disproportionate chauffeuring burdens of women.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Walking or bicycling to school could contribute to children's d... more ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Walking or bicycling to school could contribute to children's daily physical activity, but physical environment changes are often needed to improve the safety and convenience of walking and cycling routes . The California Safe Routes to School (SR2S) ...

Journal of Urban Economics, 1996

Journal of the American Planning Association, 1999

... MARLON G. BOARNET AND NICHOLAS S. COMPIN Information Sources We used three different sources ... more ... MARLON G. BOARNET AND NICHOLAS S. COMPIN Information Sources We used three different sources of information. ... San Diego Trolley The development of the San Diego Trolley began with legislation introduced into the California State Sen-ate by James R. Mills in 1975. ...

New Scientist, 2011

This research provides an exploratory examination of the factors associated with fine particle co... more This research provides an exploratory examination of the factors associated with fine particle concentrations in intersection and sidewalk microenvironments in five study areas in the Los Angeles region. The study areas range from low-density, auto-oriented development patterns to dense urban areas with mid- and high-rise buildings. Average concentrations of FPDT (fine particle concentrations measured with DustTrak Aerosol Monitors) ranged from

American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2002

The link between the built environment and human behavior has long been of interest to the field ... more The link between the built environment and human behavior has long been of interest to the field of urban planning, but direct assessments of the links between the built environment and physical activity as it influences personal health are still rare in the field. Yet the concepts, theories, and methods used by urban planners provide a foundation for an emerging body of research on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity. Recent research efforts in urban planning have focused on the idea that land use and design policies can be used to increase transit use as well as walking and bicycling. The development of appropriate measures for the built environment and for travel behavior is an essential element of this research. The link between the built environment and travel behavior is then made using theoretical frameworks borrowed from economics, and in particular, the concept of travel as a derived demand. The available evidence lends itself to the argument that a combination of urban design, land use patterns, and transportation systems that promotes walking and bicycling will help create active, healthier, and more livable communities. To provide more conclusive evidence, however, researchers must address the following issues: An alternative to the derived-demand framework must be developed for walking, measures of the built environment must be refined, and more-complete data on walking must be developed. In addition, detailed data on the built environment must be spatially matched to detailed data on travel behavior.

We use panel data to investigate the before-and-after impact of a new light rail transit line on ... more We use panel data to investigate the before-and-after impact of a new light rail transit line on active travel behavior. Participants were divided into a treatment group and a control group (residing <½ mile and >½ mile from a new light rail transit station, respectively). Self-reported walking (n = 204) and accelerometer-measured physical activity (n = 73) were obtained for both groups before and after the new light rail transit opened. This is the first application of an experimental-control group study design around light rail in California, and one of the first in the U.S. Our panel design provides an opportunity for stronger causal inference than is possible in the much more common study designs that use cross-sectional data. It also provides an opportunity to examine how an individual's previous activity behavior influences the role that new light rail transit access plays in promoting active travel behavior. The results show that, when not controlling for subject's before-opening walking or physical activity, there was no significant relationship between treatment group status and after-opening walking or physical activity. However, when controlling for an interaction between baseline walking/physical activity and treatment group membership, we found that living within a half-mile of a transit station was associated with an increase in walking and physical activity for participants who previously had low walking and physical activity levels. The results were opposite for participants with previously high walking and physical activity levels. Future policy and research should consider the possibility that sedentary populations may be more responsive to new transit investments, and more targeted ''soft " approaches in transit service would be needed to encourage people to make healthy travel choices.

Metropolitan areas in the U.S. have become increasingly polycentric. Large employment subcenters ... more Metropolitan areas in the U.S. have become increasingly polycentric. Large employment subcenters have emerged outside of central cities, competing against the traditional city center for labor and businesses. The existing literature on land use and transportation focuses on passenger travel, providing little insight into the impact of polycentric metropolitan development patterns on freight activity. In this study, we use the Los Angeles region as a case study to examine the relationship between urban spatial development patterns and freight travel. Using the National Employment Time Series (NETS) data, we identify employment subcenters in metropolitan Los Angeles. We characterize freight activities associated with the subcenters using data from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). We develop a regression model that estimates freight activity as a function of geographic characteristics, such as whether a location is in an employment subcenter, measures of nearby employment, access to the highway network, and proximity to intermodal freight facilities. The results indicate that employment is an important driver of freight activity; however, employment subcenters have an independent effect on freight activity. The results of this study suggest that further research on urban spatial structure and freight activity should assess the effects of employment subcenters and how their particular employment composition and characteristics are associated with freight activities at the metropolitan level. Such an approach would lead to more precise policy recommendations for urban goods movement.

Journal of Urban Economics, 2015

ABSTRACT We empirically test two hypotheses: (1) that gender differences in income earning potent... more ABSTRACT We empirically test two hypotheses: (1) that gender differences in income earning potential play a role in the within-household division of non-work travel and (2) that compact land use development can reduce the within-household gender gap in non-work travel. Using the 2001 Southern California Household Travel Survey, we find that non-work travel patterns for men and women do not vary much by gender unless children are in the household. Households with children display a striking difference in chauffeuring trips and women bear most of the chauffeuring burden. Adjusting for sociodemographics, women in households with children take over 300% more chauffeuring trips than do men living alone. The difference in chauffeuring trips among females and males within the household, the “within-household, female-male chauffeuring gap”, is larger for households with employed males and smaller in households with employed females. The chauffeuring gap is smaller when the woman’s earning power is larger compared to the man in the same household. The chauffeuring gap is larger for households that have higher amounts of single family residential land use in the quarter-mile area around their residence, and the chauffeuring gap is larger for households that live farther than a half mile from the nearest bus stop. The magnitude of the effect of those two land use variables on the chauffeuring gap is similar to the magnitude of variables that measure within-household differences in income-earning potential or female and male employment status, suggesting that more dense land use and better transit service can help reduce disproportionate chauffeuring burdens of women.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Walking or bicycling to school could contribute to children&amp;apos;s d... more ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Walking or bicycling to school could contribute to children&amp;apos;s daily physical activity, but physical environment changes are often needed to improve the safety and convenience of walking and cycling routes . The California Safe Routes to School (SR2S) ...

Journal of Urban Economics, 1996

Journal of the American Planning Association, 1999

... MARLON G. BOARNET AND NICHOLAS S. COMPIN Information Sources We used three different sources ... more ... MARLON G. BOARNET AND NICHOLAS S. COMPIN Information Sources We used three different sources of information. ... San Diego Trolley The development of the San Diego Trolley began with legislation introduced into the California State Sen-ate by James R. Mills in 1975. ...

New Scientist, 2011

This research provides an exploratory examination of the factors associated with fine particle co... more This research provides an exploratory examination of the factors associated with fine particle concentrations in intersection and sidewalk microenvironments in five study areas in the Los Angeles region. The study areas range from low-density, auto-oriented development patterns to dense urban areas with mid- and high-rise buildings. Average concentrations of FPDT (fine particle concentrations measured with DustTrak Aerosol Monitors) ranged from

American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2002

The link between the built environment and human behavior has long been of interest to the field ... more The link between the built environment and human behavior has long been of interest to the field of urban planning, but direct assessments of the links between the built environment and physical activity as it influences personal health are still rare in the field. Yet the concepts, theories, and methods used by urban planners provide a foundation for an emerging body of research on the relationship between the built environment and physical activity. Recent research efforts in urban planning have focused on the idea that land use and design policies can be used to increase transit use as well as walking and bicycling. The development of appropriate measures for the built environment and for travel behavior is an essential element of this research. The link between the built environment and travel behavior is then made using theoretical frameworks borrowed from economics, and in particular, the concept of travel as a derived demand. The available evidence lends itself to the argument that a combination of urban design, land use patterns, and transportation systems that promotes walking and bicycling will help create active, healthier, and more livable communities. To provide more conclusive evidence, however, researchers must address the following issues: An alternative to the derived-demand framework must be developed for walking, measures of the built environment must be refined, and more-complete data on walking must be developed. In addition, detailed data on the built environment must be spatially matched to detailed data on travel behavior.

We use panel data to investigate the before-and-after impact of a new light rail transit line on ... more We use panel data to investigate the before-and-after impact of a new light rail transit line on active travel behavior. Participants were divided into a treatment group and a control group (residing <½ mile and >½ mile from a new light rail transit station, respectively). Self-reported walking (n = 204) and accelerometer-measured physical activity (n = 73) were obtained for both groups before and after the new light rail transit opened. This is the first application of an experimental-control group study design around light rail in California, and one of the first in the U.S. Our panel design provides an opportunity for stronger causal inference than is possible in the much more common study designs that use cross-sectional data. It also provides an opportunity to examine how an individual's previous activity behavior influences the role that new light rail transit access plays in promoting active travel behavior. The results show that, when not controlling for subject's before-opening walking or physical activity, there was no significant relationship between treatment group status and after-opening walking or physical activity. However, when controlling for an interaction between baseline walking/physical activity and treatment group membership, we found that living within a half-mile of a transit station was associated with an increase in walking and physical activity for participants who previously had low walking and physical activity levels. The results were opposite for participants with previously high walking and physical activity levels. Future policy and research should consider the possibility that sedentary populations may be more responsive to new transit investments, and more targeted ''soft " approaches in transit service would be needed to encourage people to make healthy travel choices.