ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses both statistical and interpretative approaches used in examining how the site and physical design characteristics of suburban workplaces influence travel behavior and local traffic conditions. It describes the research methodology and data sources in more detail and sets forth definitions for a number of terms applied throughout the analysis. The book explains the empirical phase of the study by presenting an overview of land use, development, and mobility issues for suburban employment centers in the greater Chicago, Houston, and Seattle areas. It presents policy options for designing future suburban employment centers with mobility concerns in mind. By and large, the suburbanization of congestion in America has paralleled the suburbanization of jobs throughout the 1980s. The way suburban workplaces are being designed no doubt bears some of the blame for worsening congestion.
