Walkability and Environmental Impact Analysis & Recommendations for The Brunswick Landing: Maine's Center for Innovation

ABSTRACT

The rapid development of low-density residential settlements accessed only by personal motor vehicles, commonly referred to as urban sprawl, began in the mid-20th century and continues to this day. We are now also left with the consequences of aging sprawl which often looks like rundown suburban infrastructure, vacant strip malls, and empty parking lots after the investment into these developments stopped or was directed elsewhere. These vacant or abandoned shopping centers and commercial strips are known as greyfield sites. They were once centers for economic development, often meant as a complement to a nearby residential development, but were equally as poorly planned and scattered. A subcategory of greyfield redevelopment sites is foreclosed military bases, specifically those closed by the US Department of Defense as part of the Base Realignment and Foreclosure (BRAC) process responsible for the closure of 128 domestic bases across the US. Fortunately, there is growing literature addressing how to make use of these low-density, car-dependent, abandoned sites. Using Smart Growth and New Urbanism ideas surrounding urban design and transit-oriented development, greyfield sites like the former Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS) at the Brunswick Landing in Maine can become a center for sustainable development that benefits both the community, economy and the individual through its place-making and sustainability ideals. Through designing three models of comparison (1. The current reality of Brunswick Landing, 2. The fully realized redevelopment plan designed by the town of Brunswick in 2007, and 3. the fully realized redevelopment plan with the addition of urban design and public transportation intervention recommendations), this thesis addresses potential urban design and public transportation interventions for low-density developments who want to increase their walkability and decrease their environmental impact. The walkability analysis of these models uses Reid Ewing’s walkability scorecard from Measuring Urban Design: Metrics for Livable Places. The environmental impact analysis is conducted through real traffic counts and further hypothetical analysis is developed from the Victoria Institute’s Transport Policy’s Land Use Impacts on Travel summary. The results of this thesis demonstrate the significant potential for small-scale design interventions to improve walkability and decrease vehicle emissions in car-dependent neighborhoods. This research can be applied to other foreclosed military bases, greyfield development sites, and other low-density, sprawl developments for the betterment of their communities health, economy, and the environment as a whole.

For more information about the results and environmental analysis of this thesis, please contact me directly.