SOME EFFECTS OF LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS ON ADJACENT LAND USE

THE APPLICATION OF THE RECIPROCAL THEORY IS EXAMINED TO THE LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS BUILT THROUGH SUBURBAN AREAS UNDER THE NEW INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM PROGRAM. THE RECIPROCAL THEORY HOLDS THAT LAND USE IS A FUNCTION OF TRAFFIC FACILITIES. THE TYPES AND PATTERNS OF ADJACENT LAND USE CREATED BY FREEWAYS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE STRIP DEVELOPMENTS THAT OCCUR ALONG MAJOR HIGHWAYS WITH CONTINUOUS ACCESS. LAND USES THAT HAVE LONG BEEN HIGHWAY-ORIENTED SUDDENLY EXPAND IN SCALE WHEN THEY SEEK LOCATIONS ALONG A FREEWAY. THIS IS DUE TO THE INCREASED POTENTIALS CREATED FOR THEM BY ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS THAT A FREEWAY PERFORMS TO A MUCH GREATER DEGREE THAN AN ORDINARY HIGHWAY: (1) IT PROVIDES QUICK ACCESS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE ADJACENT URBAN AREA, (2) IT COLLECTS LABOR FROM A MUCH WIDER AREA, (3) IT COLLECTS CUSTOMERS, CLIENTS, PUPILS, AND SPECTATORS FROM EVEN GREATER DISTANCES, (4) IT COLLECTS AND DISTRIBUTES SUPPLIES AND PRODUCTS OVER A GREATLY EXTENDED RANGE, AND (5) IT IS AN ADVERTISING CHANNEL OF ENORMOUS VOLUME AND PENETRATION. THESE LAND USES REQUIRE MUCH LARGER SITES ON A FREEWAY THAN THEY OCCUPIED ON FULL ACCESS HIGHWAYS, AND THEY REQUIRE SITES AS NEAR AS POSSIBLE TO INTERCHANGES. THE BEST USE OF LAND IN THE VICINITY OF A SUBURBAN INTERCHANGE WOULD INCLUDE FREEWAY-RELATED SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS ON THE MOST ACCESSIBLE SITES, LARGER FREEWAY-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL, IN LOCATIONS CLOSE TO THE INTERCHANGE, AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS BEYOND. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THIS PATTERN COMBINED WITH A DESIGNED LOCAL ROAD SYSTEM PROVIDES EFFICIENT MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE FREEWAY AND THE DEVELOPMENTS ALONG ITS BORDERS. LAND USE PLANNING IS A VITAL CONCERN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND CITIZENS, SINCE THE UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT OF LAND USES CANNOT ONLY IMPAIR PROPERTY VALUES AND TAX REVENUES BUT CAN LEAD TO EXCESSIVE PROFITS IN PROVIDING ALL TYPES OF LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICES.