Work

Place-Making or Place-Taking? The Relationship between Goal Tension and System Performance of U.S. Modern-Era Streetcar Systems

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Over the past decade, over $1 billion of public funding has been dedicated toward developing streetcar systems in the United States. Most systems in operation today are underperforming. I explore factors that may contribute toward poor system performance by examining the experiences of several U.S. modern-era streetcar systems. Focus is placed on the tension generated between often conflicting goals which drive system development. I find that a failure to adequately balance conflicting goals shapes planning and policy decisions in a manner that often supports a streetcar’s place-making capability while compromising its place-taking capability (i.e., the ability to take people places).

Source: Journal of Planning Education and Research

DOI: 10.1177/0739456x241268516

Author: Joel Mendez

Institution: University of Kansas

Language: English

Topic: Urban Transport and Accessibility

Subfield: Transportation

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: UNICEF, Temple University, Federal Highway Administration