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An examination of the benefits and implementation problems of the transportation/utility corridor concept

University of British Columbia

The value and feasibility of implementing the Corridor concept has been debated for over twenty years. A corridor provides land for the coordinated placement of future linear facilities such as highways, railways, pipelines, powerlines and municipal services. Few corridors have been established, although there has been obvious interest in the concept. A number of studies into the feasibility of establishing corridors have been completed in the United States, Alberta and British Columbia. This thesis examines the benefits, disadvantages and implementation problems associated with the corridor concept. Through a literature review, the factors influencing linear facility right-of-way location and width are examined. Also, from the literature, the benefits and disadvantages associated with corridor implementation and the key factors which have inhibited corridor implementation are identified. The Alberta corridor program is studied and the corridor origins, design, institutional framework and implementation mechanism identified. The case study indicated that a set of unusual circumstances allowed for the establishment of the Alberta corridors. This thesis concludes that corridors do provide net benefits for the community in the long term but that they are difficult to implement. The major planning implication of corridors is that they bring right-of-way planning into the sphere of land use planning and reduce the emphasis on economics and engineering.

Text

2010-07-23

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26859

Planning

University of British Columbia

Graduate