Corridor AnalysisA Template Analysis for Birmingham Framework

Draft March 2010

Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio

gastudio.com

Draft March 2010

The following analysis were conducted

to measure the eff ects of infrastructure

networks on population density, and

density shifts over time. Each analysis

follows a specifi ed corridor documenting

changes in density, relative density of

nearby cities, and road intersections.

The white boundaries on the MSA Census

Tract map (bottom of pg3) represent

census tract data collection areas. These

areas are defi ned by the U.S. Census

Bureau. In the following analysis they

are colored based on their density value,

which is also represented vertically in the

graph above it. The graph communicates

census tracts as a change in height and

associated color corresponding with the

density of that tract. Larger census tracts

are consequently less dense as a census

tract boundary is usually determined by

a population amount of around 4500

people.

The cities aligning the analysis road are

listed in the “City Limits/Avg Density”

bar showing the distance of exposure

they have directly to the corridor and

the average density for each city within

its city limits as a whole. This is not to

be confused with the density of each

individual census tract represented in the

graph.

The graph at the very top marks the

change in density for each of the

represented census tracts from 1990-

2000. Positive growth is shown at the

top in a dark red color while decline in

density is illustrated below it in yellow. It is

a graphic representation of the diff erence

between the black 1990 graph line and

each colored census tract in the persons/

sq mile graph.

Analysis Key

Corridor Analysis

MSA

0 3010 20

Demographic1 #

#

#

Demographic2 #

#

#

Demographic4 #

#

#

Demographic5 #

#

#

Demographic3 #

#

#

Distance (Miles)

City1 City City2 City3 City4 City5

The table to the right illustrates a spark line measuring other

demographic factors tied to the same analysis area census tracts.

These lines help to paint a more complete picture of what’s going on in

the area, and elude to demographic situations unique from the whole.

Demographics

2

Draft March 2010

2802059 31 65 7820 59150

1990

2000

####

####

####

####

####

####

1,619

####

####

###

Comparative City1

Comparative City2

Comparative City3

Birmingham Average

Comparative City4

All Roads

Major Roads

Interstate Exits

MSA Census Tract Map

0 20 3010 355 2515

729

City1

1,454.7

City2

2,563

City4

1,673

City3

1,683.3

City5

1,094

City6

1,619.7

City7

582.7

City8

2,830.3

City9

Miles

Change in Density

1990-2000

City Limits/Avg Density

Persons/Sq Mile

185227

36 18

386

184

347 365499

205

396

192

50

446

6 18 1133 82

16 14

176104

1152

Data Source

####

####

####

####

####

####

####

Roads

Analyzed Rd

Analysis Area

Misc Area

N0 mi 5 10

3

The demographic characteristics of the corridor as illustrated to the right display some typical conclusions. In places where the density spikes upward, there is generally a small downturn in characteristics such as income and an increase in characteristics such as unemployment and poverty. However, there are some unique characteristics associated with Hoover and Vestavia. These areas have a consistent density, but don’t seem to suff er the same extreme downturns in income and spikes in unemployment.

Analysis Density Along 459/150 Corridor

Demographics

459/150 Corridor

MSA

The analysis parameters are essentially

defi ned following 459 and Highway

150. The study focused on the analysis

of density pockets, and so the path

analyzed does not follow only 459, but

instead connects three groupings of high

density pockets. This was accomplished

by extending the “459 corridor” to the

east as illustrated with a dotted line in

order to include Center Point, and cutting

up Highway 150 to the west to include

the density of Bessemer. The point of the

analysis is to make a comparison between

thriving dense areas over time in relation

to distances and road infrastructure.

Interesting conclusions are drawn such

as the fact that the density within the city

limits of Cahaba Heights is much higher

than the density of Cahaba Heights

lining 459 while the opposite is true for

Trussville. Also to be noted are the areas

of growth in relation to the areas of high

density. Center Point and Bessemer’s

density pockets generally have a very

dense center along the interstate and

step downward to a low point. Hoover’s

density along the corridor trickles out to

a much wider distance and has grown

the most over the 10 year period. Lastly,

it’s interesting to consider the placement

of intersecting roads along the corridor

in relation to density. The areas of higher

sustained density along 459 are those

located next to the greatest cluster of

interstate intersections. The number of

intersecting secondary roads also play a

role, such as the greater amount of small

road intersections in Center Point and

Bessemer’s densities.

0 3010 20

Density 3777

1585

79

Graduation Rate 99%

83.3%

66%

Unemployment 12.1%

4.2%

1.4%

Poverty 30.1%

9.6%

1.4%

Per Capita Income $46,000

$23,944

$10,000

Distance (Miles)

BessemerCity

4

Hoover Vestavia Mt. Brook Cnt Point

2802059 31 65 7820 59150

1990

2000

459

TrussvilleBirmingham

Bessemer

Hoover

Center Point

Draft March 2010

4,228

4018

3697

3600

2700

2612

2,525

1800

1,619

1,134

900

871

100

Portland, OR

Altanta, GA

Dallas, TX

San Bernadino, CA

Charlotte, NC

Birmingham, AL

Nashville, TN

Oklahoma City, OK

All Roads

Major Roads

Interstate Exits

MSA Census Tract Map

0 20 3010 355 2515

729

Bessemer

1,454.7

Hoover

2,563

Cahaba

1,673

Vestavia

1,683.3

Mt. Brook

1,094

Irondale

1,619.7

Bham

582.7

Truss.

2,830.3

Center Point

Miles

Change in Density

1990-2000

City Limits/Avg Density

City

Persons/Sq Mile

185227

36 18

386

184

347 365499

205

396

192

50

446

6 18 1133 82

16 14

176104

1152

All Data from U.S. Census Bureau: 2000 & 1990 Decennial Census 2000 Summary File 1; GCT-PH1. Population, Housing

Units, Area, and Density: 2000. Geographic representations calculated with Google Earth & Tigerline shape fi les.

4501+

3601-4500

2701-3600

1801-2700

901-1800

101-900

0-100

Roads

Analyzed Rd

Analysis Area

Misc Area

5

N0 mi 5 10

75/31 Corridor

MSA

Analysis Density Along 75/31 Corridor

In contrast to the previous analysis, the

graph on the next page illustrates density

along a linear path through the city core.

The density here is established, older,

and may be shifting to accommodate

new infrastructure. The density here is

much more stable across the studied area

as whole without with less delineation

between high density areas. Another

interesting factor is that the growth and

decline continue to trend towards linear

density, unlike the previous analysis

where separations between the density

pockets continued to increase. A large

diff erence in the surveyed area of this

graph as compared to the previous

one, is that this path follows highways

and smaller roads instead of a major

interstate. Linear density seems to make

sense on a smaller street scale where

housing can exist and access the street

easily from both sides. With Interstates,

the density is restricted to pockets

where exits exist, and feed into smaller

transportation systems. These areas with

greater numbers of intersections may not

have a relatively higher density, but have

experienced the most growth between

1990 and 2000 with the exception of

Center Point. However, the area of the

analysis with the highest concentration

of interstate nodes may have a relatively

high density, but has seen the largest

decrease in density from 1990-2000.

The most interesting area in the chart to the right is that small area between Birmingham and Homewood. The Density remains high, but this area does not show the typical fall in graduation rates and income. Just to the right of this area, is even less dense, but shows the typical signs of low graduation, low income, and high poverty associated with dense, but failing city cores. This could show a possible economic shift from the historic city core, to a newer city core south of the original.

Demographics Alabaster Helena Hoover Homewood Birmingham Center Point

Unemployment

Poverty

0 10 20 30 40 50

Distance (miles)

Density

City

5765

2960

156

31%

15.7%

.4%

46.3%

24.5%

2.6%

Income $60,270

$34,489

$8,708

Graduation 99.6%

77.4%

55.1%

6

N0 mi 5 10

1990

2000

31

75Hoover

Center Point

Alabaster

Helena

Homewood

Birmingham

28065 65459 2059 79 59

Draft March 2010

119

236162

386

824

1222

1067

853

689

1045

978

623

226180

228291

99 10515 30 9

72 83 103162

57

271

61

222 213143

101 95

71

244

412

1164

4500

3600

2700

1800

900

100

All Roads

Major Roads

Interstate Exits

MSA Census Tracts

Miles

Change in Density

1990-2000

City Limits/ Avg Density

Persons/sq mile

0 20 3010 35 40 45 505 2515

All Data from U.S. Census Bureau: 2000 & 1990 Decennial Census 2000 Summary File 1; GCT-PH1. Population, Housing

Units, Area, and Density: 2000. Geographic representations calculated with Google Earth & Tigerline shape fi les.

1104.8

Alabaster

603

Helena

1,454.7

Hoover

1673

Vestavia

3014

Homewood

378.2

Pelham

1,619.7

Birmingham

2,830.3

Center Point

721.2

Pinson

4501+

3601-4500

2701-3600

1801-2700

901-1800

101-900

0-100

Roads

Analyzed Rd

Analysis Area

Misc Area

4018

2,525

1,619

871

Altanta, GA

Charlotte, NC

Birmingham, AL

Oklahoma City, OK

7

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Draft March 2010