The University of South Florida's National Center for Transit Research has released a study analyzing whether there was any basis to anecdotal data linking the implementation of Complete Streets projects to increases in private investment and property value.

Researchers reviewed background information related to Complete Streets and examined how such projects may be evaluated.  Researchers identified a set of case studies, which included locations where Complete Streets projects were recently implemented, along with examples that had been in place long enough to assess changes in economic activity.  The case studies are intentionally diverse and include a beach community, a smaller-area business district, and a larger city that included major transit investment.

Findings indicate that, despite the recent economic downturn, the Complete Streets demonstrated maintained and enhanced economic activity that often outperformed nearby areas and their cities as a whole.  This work showed that the benefits of Complete Streets projects can be numerous and expected to include enhanced economic activity.