Back to search

Virginia Tech

Determining the Value of Pedestrian Surfaces in Suburban DC

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Recent demographic studies suggest a shift in consumer preference away from auto-centric suburban housing to more walkable suburban communities. In response to these changes, efforts have been made to model the walkability of a location and determine its effect on the market value of both residential and commercial real estate. Existing walkability models have considered the importance of amenities and potential pedestrian routes, but have neglected to identify the importance of pedestrian surfaces such as sidewalks and trails as a proportion of the route traveled, and have typically modeled pedestrian movement using exclusively street or trail centerline data. The following paper uses a new walkability model to provide insight on the effect pedestrian surfaces along these amenity routes have on the market value of single family detached and semi-detached homes in Fairfax County, VA. It was found that increases in pedestrian surfaces along amenity routes had little to no effect on home value, but that 3.3%, 1.2 %, and 0.7 % price premiums existed for single family homes that had amenity paths of less than 1 mile to public transportation, public spaces, and recreational facilities, respectively. Price reductions of 3.0 % were discovered for homes that had amenity paths within 1 mile of retail locations.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Civil Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2014

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Ayers, William Grove
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Dymond, Randel L.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Boyle, Kevin J.
  • Hancock, Kathleen L.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:2362
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/64350

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Ayers, William Grove. Determining the Value of Pedestrian Surfaces in Suburban DC. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/64350