Research topics are short-term research reports on land-use related topics of interest to the Planning Commission.
Reports attempt to answer various questions that have come up at public hearings or that the Planning Commission felt would be useful to examine to help them in making their decisions.
The research topics are in an Adobe Acrobat PDF format (download the free reader here.)
Research Topic No. 1 - prepared in the Spring of 1995, addresses a concern raised by neighborhood residents that the approval of several small-lot residential and multifamily developments would bring about significant numbers of school-age children that would overwhelm existing schools.
Research Topic No. 2 - completed in the winter of 1995-96, examines how various types of development differ in traffic generation and how these differences might impact an adjacent residential neighborhood.
Research Topic No. 3 (1.29MB) - last updated in the fall of 2005, examines how much sewered, but vacant, land remains available for development in the city. This report can be used to help determine how quickly development might absorb the remaining available land in the city and in planning and budgeting for major public improvements.
Research Topic No. 4 - In the spring of 1998, staff was directed to study the advisability of changing the designation of Switzer Road from a thoroughfare to a collector street in the area south of 135th Street. This document examines issues of mobility and system continuity, capacity needs, impacts on parallel routes and safety issues.
Research Topic No. 5 - In the spring of 2000, research was conducted to address the question of whether or not we should be concerned about the amount and concentration of new multifamily development in the city. This document examines multifamily development trends and raises possible policy issues for further consideration by the Planning Commission.
For more information about the Master Plan, email Mary Hunter, senior planner, or John Rod, manager of Community Planning and Services.