Figure 1 shows the relative percentage of existing land uses by category in the study area, and Figure 2 shows existing land use by location. The combined percentage of commercial and industrial land in the study area is relatively low (< 4 percent) in relation to residential land (see Figure 3). Figure 4 compares the relative proportions of land uses in South County with those of the City of Tampa. The City of Tampa provides an interesting point of reference, particularly with regard to future land use in Section 2.2 of the report, given that the South County population is projected to be comparable to that of the City by 2040 (see Technical Memorandum 1). As might be expected, the relative proportions of institutional and commercial lands are higher in the City, with open space/agricultural land use significantly higher in South County. Less difference is observed in residential and industrial land use proportions. An employment to housing ratio was calculated for further insight into the availability of employment opportunities and the degree of land use diversity − conditions that can influence commute lengths and travel demand. An employment to housing ratio in the range of 0.75 to 1.5 is generally considered beneficial for reducing vehicle miles of travel (VMT) (EnviroAtlas, 2014; BIA, 2017). Comparison of total employment to total households at the census block group level yielded a ratio of 0.35 (18,543 jobs and 53,602 dwelling units) for the study area (U.S. EPA Smart Location Database, 2010 Census, 2010 LEHD Data). This suggests a need to expand employment opportunities in the region.
Existing Land Use
10%
32%
23%
2%
29%
3%
2%
Residential Industrial Commercial Public/Institutional/Utilities/ROW Open Space/Recreation
Figure 1. Existing land use by percentage Source: Plan Hillsborough
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