Land Use
A balanced land development strategy weighs the benefits of economic development with the costs of changing land use. The Hampton Roads region ranks near the middle of major metropolitan areas in terms of sprawl. Since the last census, it has increased the amount of population in high-density areas.
Why is This Important?
There are both benefits and costs to new land development. New developments are a sign of economic growth and prosperity, as they provide much needed housing, jobs, and economic revitalization. New developments can also place burdens on existing infrastructures and services, increase congestion and pollution, and potentially result in a loss of farmland and open fields.
A balance between housing and jobs in an area provides the opportunity for individuals to live closer to work and maintain shorter commutes. High-density housing can provide enough passengers for efficient transit use; and when good public transit is provided and used, traffic congestion can be reduced. On the other hand, low-density housing can exacerbate congestion by increasing commuting distance and decreasing public transportation options.
How is Hampton Roads Doing?
High-density populations and land
A high-density area is defined here as one with 1,000 or more residents per square mile. Since 2000, Hampton Roads has seen its high-density area increase in size and population density. In 2000, 13.2 percent of Hampton Roads’ land area was high-density. This increased to 14.2 percent in 2010. Population density in high population areas increased as well, from 4,330 per square mile in 2000 to 4,370 in 2010. Eighty nine percent of Hampton Roads residents live in high-density areas.
Northern Virginia is comparable to Hampton Roads in its land use features: 89 percent of residents live in high-density areas, although a larger percentage of its land area (15.8%) is high density, and the average population density in such areas is also higher (4,875 per square mile).
In contrast, the Eastern, Southside, and Southwest regions have much less high-density land area (< 1%), lower percentages of population in high-density areas (< 31%), and lower population densities even in high-density areas. The Central, West Central, and Valley regions fall in the middle, though they are generally much more populous and high-density than the rural regions of the state.
Changes in Population and High-Density Land since 2000,
by Virginia Region (as of 2010)
| Region | Population Change (2010 Total) | % of Population
in High-Density Areas / Change in % of Population |
Population per
Square Mile in High-Density Areas |
Change in % of High-Density Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | + 211,560 (1,577,807 people) |
66.7% / + 2.4% | + 22.7 (3,262.2 people) |
+ 0.6% |
| Eastern | + 4,201 (141,676 people) |
22.9% / + 1.3% | - 315.1 (2,060.6 people) |
+ 0.2% |
| Hampton Roads | +
90,192 (1,656,718 people) |
88.9% / + 2.1% | +
40.7 (4,370.3 people) |
+ 1.0% |
| Northern | +
506,387 (2,623,079 people) |
88.8% / + 2.5% | +
307.3 (4,875.1 people) |
+ 2.6% |
| Southside | -
5,947 (380,886 people) |
30.7% / + 0.2% | -
36.5 (2,541.6 people) |
0.0% |
| Southwest | +
3,832 (417,024 people) |
28% / + 2.5% | -
28 (2,254.2 people) |
+ 0.1% |
| Valley | +
56,182 (479,535 people) |
52.8% / + 6.3% | +
46.6 (3,254.4 people) |
+ 0.3% |
| West Central | +
56,102 (724,299 people) |
55.7% / + 1.0% | +
173.6 (2,996.1 people) |
+ 0.1% |
| Virginia | +
922,509 (8,001,024 people) |
72.2% / + 3.3% | +
136.2 (3,947.7 people) |
+ 0.5% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau | ||||
Metropolitan area sprawl
The Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA (Hampton Roads MSA) ranks near the middle of major metropolitan areas in the U.S. in terms of features associated with sprawl. An index of sprawl developed by Smart Growth America measures four factors: residential density; neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services; strength of activity centers and downtowns; and accessibility of the street network. An overall score based on these factors rates the Hampton Roads metropolitan area 37th among 83 metro areas in degree of sprawl. Hampton Roads ranks best in the strength of its town centers/downtowns with a ranking of 19th, and worst on accessibility of the street network at 59th.
What Influences Land Use?
Land use is determined both by the number of individuals who choose to live in an area and zoning and other regulations imposed by local and state governments. Transportation networks and geographic barriers also influence land use by influencing the ability of people to commute to work from different locations.
Data Definitions and Sources
A high-density area is defined here as a census block that contains at least 1,000 residents per square mile. A low-density area consists of a census block with fewer than 1,000 residents per square mile. Note: These definitions differ slightly from the U.S. Census Bureau definitions for urban and rural areas. The Census Bureau will not release urban/rural designations for the 2010 Census until 2012.
Smart Growth America: Measuring Sprawl and its Impact, 2002.
Regional Data: Population and Land Area, 2000 and 2010
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Virginia Transportation Research Council, Options for Improving the Coordination of Transportation and Land Use Planning in Virginia, 2004.
Coordination of Transportation Planning and Land Use Control: A Challenge for Virginia in the 21st Century, Robert D. Vander Lugt and Salil Virkar, Virginia Transportation Research Council, 1991.
See the Data Sources and Updates Calendar for a detailed list of the data resources used for indicator measures on Hampton Roads Performs.
