Project Summary
Near-roadway areas are important sites for infill affordable housing. These areas at times have compact, mixed-use characteristics that could be associated with reduced auto dependency and more active travel and transit use. Integrated land use and transportation planning for these areas offer the potential of helping reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but near-roadway smart growth strategies could exacerbate air pollution exposures since vehicle-related air pollutants and related adverse health effects are highly localized near major roadways. The proposed research will evaluate the distribution of affordable housing projects in Southern California which have received support from the Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs in relation to built environment and transportation resources and near-roadway air pollutant hazards in order to improve affordable housing site selection and design criteria. We will also use portable global positioning systems (GPS) and pollution tracking technologies to measure the travel behavior and air pollution exposure of residents of HOPE VI projects across transportation microenvironments and near-roadway locations in goods movement corridors. The resulting highly-revolved activity/exposure profiles will support the development of more effective land use, housing and transportation policies to mitigate near-roadway air pollution hazards for diverse and low-income communities.