Transportation

Land Use

Land Use

A balanced land development strategy weighs the benefits of economic development with the costs of changing land use. The Hampton Roads region is second only to the Northern region of Virginia in population and housing density.

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 usage; 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?

Within Virginia, the Hampton Roads region has the second largest number of housing units and people per square mile, closely trailing the Northern region. In 2008, the Hampton Roads region had a housing density of 285.0 units per square mile, while the Northern region's density was 324.3 units per square mile. The data for housing density is closely correlated with population density: the Hampton Roads and Northern regions have the highest population density rates at 692.0 and 819.4 people per square mile, respectively.

Relative to its peer Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), housing and population density in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA (Hampton Roads MSA) is in the middle. Housing and population densities in the Hampton Roads MSA were 174.1 housing units and 425.7 people per square mile in 2007. Peer MSAs, Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC and Raleigh-Cary, NC had higher densities, while Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL had lower densities.

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.