A planning tool of equity transit-oriented development (ETOD) : evaluating, classifying, and optimizing transit stop in an equitable perspective in Austin, Texas
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This study develops a set of planning tools for achieving equitable goals at the 133-bus stop of the Project Connect plan in Austin, Texas. This topic is important for Austin is that the upgrading of the city is forcing vulnerable groups to displace them from their original communities. As part of a 7-billion-dollar public transit expansion plan, Project Connect gave 300 million dollars in anti-displacement funding. This report answers the three questions on implementing the anti-displacement: First, whether the neighborhood of stops has issues of inequality funding. The second one, stops are the vulnerable stop. Finally, this report answers how economic, social, and environmental impacts will be brought about by the Project Connect plan. This report uses a node-place-vulnerability model, finding that vulnerable groups have a below-average transportation supply. Continuously, the K-means clustering algorithm identifies the vulnerable bus and rail stops located around the Rundberg stop and Riverside stop. Lastly, this study applies Genetic Algorithms (GA) to optimize land use, finding that the transit system will greatly benefit accessibility to housing. Besides, the high-intensity development will result in an unproportionally high level of emissions from buildings and traffic.