This .issue of the Berkeley Planningjournal presents articles that reflect the diversity of the planning profession. Some articles highlight the importance of implementation of plans. Others highlight aspects of physical, social, and economic development planning. Finally, the globalization of planning is demonstrated with articles about the United States, Latin America, and Asia.

The University of Florida has established a long-term, sustainable partnership with the local transit system in Gainesville, Florida. This partnership provides over $5.2 million of annual funding to enhance transit services used by stu- dents at the university. Ridership on the system has grown by 284 percent between 1995 and 2003. These ridership gains were made possible through a comprehensive campus transportation demand management (TDM) system, which seeks to reduce automobile use in favor of more sustainable modes. The campus TDM system includes policies such as parking restriction, parking pricing, transit service enhancements, and unlimited-access transit.

This dissertation examines the New Urbanists' contention that retail centers within easy walking of residential neighborhoods will attract a much higher walk and bike mode share and many fewer and shorter trips than planners and traffic engineers have typically assumed. This contention of the New Urbanists is compared to that of the travel behaviorists, who argue that travelers' choice of destinations for shopping is a function of modal availability, travel time and cost, and the number, amount and variety of land uses available at each destination, such that many residents will bypass shopping in their neighborhood and go to other destinations, while non-residents may choose to shop in the neighborhood based upon its attractiveness and accessibility.

This paper answers the following general questions: Who uses neighborhood shopping districts? Under what conditions do the presence of retail activities within walking distance of housing support walking as a mode of transportation for non-work trips? This broad question is answered by considering the following related questions in traditional neighborhoods: (1) To what extent to these shopping areas attract residents and to what extent do they attract non-residents? (2) How do the complexity of travel, frequency of shopping and types of goods and services used by residents differ from those of non-residents? (3) What mode of transportation do the residents and non-residents use to get to the shopping areas? (4) What characteristics of travel (complexity of travel, frequency of travel) and shopping (types of stops influence mode choice? (5) How do the travel and shopping characteristics and the mode of travel vary among the shopping areas? (6) What level of shopping activity is supported in these shopping areas and can they include lower levels of parking as suggested by the New Urbanists? (7) What factors do customers consider in determining where to shop and how do these attitudes differ between walkers and non-walkers? and (8) What factors lead merchants to locate in various shopping areas and how well do merchants understand their customer base?

This dissertation examines patterns of usage and modes of access to traditional shopping districts. Environmentalists and designers have advocated a return to “traditional neighborhood development,” with higher densities, mixed uses, pedestrian amenities and transit service, to reduce auto dependence for shopping and other trips. Critics have countered that proximity only partly explains shopping destination and mode choice, but draw their evidence mostly from auto-dominated shopping centers, not traditional ones. Whether shopping districts predominantly serve local residents and support trip reduction has remained to be examined.

This dissertation examines customer characteristics, patterns of use, and modes of access in six traditional shopping areas in the Oakland-Berkeley, California, area. The six districts are surrounded by middle class, moderately dense residential neighborhoods with transit service and pedestrian access consonant with neo-traditional design. They vary in scale and mix of uses across the range proposed by neo-traditional designers.

Surveys, counts, and observations reveal that all six shopping areas draw a mix of residents and non-residents. The non-residents’ share increases with the scale of the shopping area and the share of comparison shopping. Distance is the most important factor in the mode choice to these shopping areas; most non-residents drive, whereas only half the residents do. Younger customers and those with few or no autos walk more than average. Those shopping for groceries or making multiple stops for specialty food typically drive. Non-resident shoppers are more likely to purchase comparison goods than residents. Both groups are attracted by specialty foods.

Trip generation rates in the six shopping areas are higher than conventional methods predict, but auto shares are much lower. The result is parking demand close to conventional estimates.

The dissertation reveals conflicts among the needs of residents, the needs of shopping districts, and traffic mitigation objectives. Many uses that serve residents and add interest and vitality to traditional shopping areas also attract a high share of non-residents, mostly by car. Trip generation can be very high, even though the auto share is relatively low. If other neo-traditional shopping districts follow suit, their benefits will stem more convenience than from trip reduction per se.