On Tuesday, February 23m METRANS Transportation Center and Urban Growth Seminar co-sponsored Research Seminar  “Urban Design and Street Typology, Do They Matter?“ presented by Dr. Billy Riggs, Professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Consultant at Sustinere Consulting. Riggs shared the results of a study he conducted of the impact of two-way streets on accidents, property values, economic growth, and crime along these streets.

In order to understand the impact that two-way streets may have on the surrounding community, Riggs, along with other faculty and graduate students at the University of Louisville, conducted a rigorous natural experiment, comparing two streets in Louisville (Brook and First Streets) that were converted to two-way streets, with their unchanged one-way street counterparts. The group examined the before and after conditions of Brook and First Streets after three years of conversion.

Riggs shared impressive details about the changes which had happened. Property values increased on the two-way streets, while nearby property values on the one-way streets declined. More specifically, Riggs discovered that the two-way Brook Street had seen a 39% increase in property value since the conversion.  Additionally, crime dropped 23% and auto collisions dropped 60% on the converted streets.

Discussant Dr. Woodie Tescher, Principal at PlaceWorks, Inc. also shared his experience in planning for the City of Pasadena and then the audience asked engaging questions of the two experts. Dr. Christopher Lawson of the Aerospace Corporation asked how practitioners might work with and engage residents who were opposed to these and other changes proposed by city planners. Tescher and Riggs both provided insightful comments about the need for strategic community organizing by more progressive residents can improve the planning project and the need for planners to create demonstration projects that open up an alternative view of the city for residents.

MPL student Daisy Villafuerte attended the talk. She noted, “I appreciated the opportunity to hear Dr. Riggs speak because he has personally affected a community I was once a part of.”

MPL student, Nicolle Cotes Chong added, “It was so interesting to me because growing up I used to live in a two-way now converted to a one-way street in Panama. The study made me wonder if this street change could have played an important role in how the zoning in my neighborhood transformed from residential to commercial use.”

William (Billy) Riggs

William (Billy) Riggs is a professor at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a consultant at Sustinere Consulting.  He focuses on parking & transportation, active travel, housing, economics, and technology. He has over 50 publications in these areas, and has had his work featured in multiple national media outlets—including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and the Atlantic.  Prior to his academic career he worked as a professional practitioner for over 15 years. 

Arpita Sharma

Arpita Sharma is a dual Master of Public Policy and Master of Planning Candidate at the USC Price School. She is interested in issues of health inequities, sustainable land use development and active transportation. She expects to complete her degrees in May 2017. She can be reached at arpitasharma.net or at [email protected].