Transportation

Infrastructure Conditions

Land Use

Virginia continues to seek a balanced land development strategy, weighing the benefits of economic development with the costs of changing land use.

Why is Land Use Important?

There are both costs and benefits to land development. New developments can place burdens on existing infrastructures and services, resulting in increased congestion, commute times, and air and noise pollution. Increasingly, development is also often at the expense of farmland and open fields. On the other hand, new developments are a sign of economic growth and prosperity, as they provide housing, increased jobs, and economic revitalization.

How is Virginia Doing?

Population Density

One key way to measure effective land use is to examine population density -- how many people occupy a square mile of land. A balanced mix of housing and jobs in an area allows individuals to live closer to work. High-density housing like apartments and townhomes, even if far from centers of work, can provide enough passengers for efficient mass transit, which in turn can reduce traffic congestion. On the other hand, low-density housing, such as suburban homes on large plots, can worsen congestion by increasing commuting distance and decreasing public transportation options.

Within Virginia, two metroplitan areas are clearly much more densely populated and developed than other areas of the state:  The Northern region has the largest number of housing units and people per square mile, followed closely by Hampton Roads. In 2008, the Northern region had a housing density of 324.3 per square mile, while Hampton Roads was at 285.0 homes. The Southside region had the sparsest housing density at only 28.8 houses per square mile.  

Housing density is closely correlated with population density data.  In this, too, the Northern and Hampton Roads regions have the highest population density rates, while the Southside region has the lowest in the state.

Urban and Rural Population

In 2000, 73 percent of Virginia's population lived in urban areas, lower than the national average of 79 percent. California had the highest percent (94%) of people living in urban areas. The urban population rates for North Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland were 60 percent, 64 percent and 86 percent respectively.

Not surprisingly, urban populations within Virginia are largest in Hampton Roads, with 92 percent, and the Northern Region, with 91 percent. The Southwest and Southside regions had the largest rural populations, at 75 percent and 65 percent respectively.

What is the State's Role?

States and localities work together to forecast what impact proposed land developments may have on area transportation systems and plans. They participate in site reviews and develop regulations (for example, requiring a minimum number of highway access points from a new development) to better control the impact new developments will have on the highway system.