Corridor Development

Corridor development is a pattern of development along and adjacent to major transportation corridors connecting metropolitan areas.

Characteristics include:

Growth primarily along existing and projected major transportation corridors;
Future potential for residential and commercial development to be concentrated around transportation hubs;
Reduces sprawl and land consumption;
Mixes commerce, jobs and housing near and along major roadways;
Allows for redevelopment along corridors

Implications:

Residences, shops, jobs, and public spaces would be co-located;
Transportation corridors would link diverse Upstate regional centers to each other, to other regions, and to other states;
A wider range of travel options could become available within corridors, which liberates the region from its automobile dependency while offering its residents, businesses, and visitors multiple transportation opportunities;
People in compact urban centers along a corridor would be able to walk, bicycle, or use public transit;
People and freight moving between the Upstate and other parts of the country would have a full range of choices - potentially including high speed expressways and rail systems to efficient airports;
Greater choices and shorter trips would reduce congestion on all roadways, providing better air quality and saving time, money, and stress for residents, businesses, and tourists;
Less land would be developed with this development option, as most development would occur along or adjacent to major corridors;
Although less land would be developed, open space and natural areas would not necessarily be preserved, especially if adjacent to a corridor;
The need for extending infrastructure would be reduced, saving public funds;
This choice provides for the fewest single family homes since almost all new development must be close to corridors;
Housing costs would increase. Since less land would be available for new development, land costs in designated growth areas would rise. This would produce enhanced property values for land located in designated growth corridors;
This pattern could limit the viability of existing municipalities and communities that are not located on designated growth corridors;
If strictly enforced, the owners of land that is outside of designated growth corridors would see the potential for development, and therefore the property values of their land, reduced.