DIMENSIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBURBAN ACTIVITY CENTERS AND TRANSPORTATION

Suburban mobility is one of the most critical transportation problems facing American cities today. This paper attempts to provide a better understanding of the physical characteristics of suburban activity centers and their relationship to travel behavior by referring to findings from two related studies conducted by the Rice Center. The first study developed a national data base on major activity centers, including suburban and downtown centers, to be used to examine physical and institutional characteristics, mobility problems, and management and financing of transportation programs. The second study, on Houston's major activity centers, looked at land use and travel characteristics and similarities and differences between suburban activity centers and the CBD.