Lynchburg urban development: A different perspective

The city of Lynchburg, located 180 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., consists of a population of approximately 70,000 people. As the economy of the city grows, Lynchburg is exploring ways on how to make use of its available vacant land to promote its economic vitality, increase revenue for the city, and at the same time maintain the integrity of its natural and historical environment. Vacant land, as well as land re-development will be analyzed based on three alternatives ranked by a multi-attribute utility function. The three alternatives take into account the five public/private universities and colleges, as well as, its geographic location, current population size, and existing infrastructure, among others. The city database is analyzed using a Geographic Information System to identify vacant plots of land and analyze possible land use plans. Results include cost estimating relationships for urban development build-out alternatives, including utility modifications which are to be included so that city planners can compare an objective utility function vs. estimated costs for a set of future city development scenarios.