01154995

Component

Since their inception in the 1970s, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have been organized around a geographic unit called an urbanized area (UZA). The complexity of MPO planning duties and the makeup of metropolitan areas have increased over the past four decades. Also, a new delineation of urbanity— the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) — has emerged since MPOs were first created. The paper defines the geography and history associated with MPO designation, and presents evidence that the MSA should replace the UZA as the standard for delineating an MPO’s boundary. Major arguments in favor of the MSA standard include matching MPO boundaries to those of local and regional governments, coordination of data, alignment with air quality conformity airsheds, and improved integration of land use with transportation infrastructure. The paper also analyzes the number and size of MPOs that would be created under an MSA standard. Current trends toward voluntary migration to the MSA standard are also documented. Several policy recommendations are made, which may be useful to policy-makers and MPO leadership.

01147878

10-0811

English

14p

2010

Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting

DVD

Maps (6) ; References (16) ; Tables (1)

City planning; Land use planning; Metropolitan planning organizations; Policy making; Statistical analysis; Transportation policy

Boundaries; Metropolitan statistical areas; Urbanized areas

Administration and Management; Highways; Policy; I10: Economics and Administration

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 Paper #10-0811

TRIS, TRB

Jan 25 2010 10:23AM