Overview
King County began a study of land use, transportation, air quality, and health (called the LUTAQH study) in 2001 to establish and implement community design principles and transportation investment policies that improve accessibly, air quality, and public health in King County and the central Puget Sound.
The study was completed in January 2006, and the results clearly show that changes in land use patterns and approaches to transportation investment can help the county achieve its goals related to smart growth, land use, transit efficiency, and improved air quality and public health. Communities already exhibiting some of the attributes identified in the study, such as compact neighborhoods, well-connected street networks, mixed use, and orientation to transit, are delivering benefits to their residents in the form of less automobile dependency, more opportunities to be physically active and healthier, and better air quality at the regional scale.
In the summer of 2006, the county launched HealthScape, the project’s second phase, to implement some of these findings. The focus of this phase is to develop tools that will help communities allocate resources and services in a way that promotes sustainable transportation choices, reduces climate change, and promotes public health. The county is developing a Development Impact Assessment Model for land use and a Non-Motorized Transportation Programming Tool for transportation planning (learn more about these tools).