Master's Research Project (Professional Report)
Evaluating the Success of Integrating Affordable Housing and Transfer of Development Rights Programs in Pitkin County, Colorado
Students: Melissa Ruth
Chair: Dr. Azza Kamal, LEED AP ND
Co-Chair: Thomas Hawkins, JD
Research: Evaluating the Success of Integrating Affordable Housing and Transfer of Development Rights Programs in Pitkin County, Colorado
Semester/Year: Summer 2022
Abstract:
Affordable housing and land conservation are not mutually exclusive, although they are often treated as such. Many “high-barrier” communities throughout the mountain-west, such as Vail, Colorado; Park City, Utah; Jackson, Wyoming; and Aspen, Colorado have the complicated problem of maintaining beautiful landscapes and managing the associated high costs of living. This case study will analyze both qualitative and quantitative data with critical literature analysis and archival research being the primary data collection methods.
The goal of this research is to aid mountain communities in protecting their valuable natural resources that attract tourists without raising the price of housing for working-class people in that community. In addition, this research seeks to help high-barrier communities understand the factors influencing development of additional affordable and low-income housing development. As such, this research seeks to ascertain the criteria for defining a successful affordable housing program and a successful transfer of development rights (TDR) program and create and test a framework to evaluate success of integrating the two programs.