Effects of In-Fill Retail Center Development on Regional Travel Patterns

Although the traditional centrifugal flow of metropolitan development continues, there is a countertrend both in the United States and abroad toward renewed real estate investment in the central business district (CBD) and in the older areas surrounding it. Construction in the non-CBD urban areas is called in-fill development. The goal of in-fill development is the rejuvenation of the urban environment through increasing densities, improving land use, and rationalizing transportation patterns. Regional transportation effects of the growing phenomenon of the in-fill mall are examined. Specifically, the focus is on changes in shopping area preference, travel mode choice, individual travel time, and vehicle hours traveled following the introduction of a new in-fill mall in the city of Haifa, Israel. Analysis is based on mall patrons’ survey responses. These responses include information on shopping travel behavior before and after the opening of the retail center. Results show that the introduction of this in-fill mall appears to have resulted in a net improvement in the regional transportation system. Specific benefits include the reduction of individual travel times for preexisting shoppers by more than 17% and the reduction of highway network vehicle hours of travel by all patrons by more than 25%. On the basis of this research, it appears that in-fill locations of retail centers can be an effective way to rationalize development and maintain the strength and vitality of existing urban areas