TELUM is an integrated interactive software package for evaluating the land use impacts of regional transportation improvement projects. The software utilizes sophisticated computer models to produce long term forecasts of spatial patterns of jobs and residences in the planning area. Based on the user’s inputs, TELUM uses current and prior residential, employment, and land use data to forecast their future values and locations by employment sector, household income group, and land use type.

Land use models such as TELUM allow planners to consider the consequences of a wide range of public policies aimed at creating conditions for sustainable regional development. These include policies that would make changes on the demand side, in terms of urban design and land use control, as well as the policies acting on the supply side in terms of implementing various kinds of transportation improvement. The transportation improvements can include highway projects, transit projects, or combinations thereof, as well as measures to promote more efficient utilization of existing facilities. The forecasting model also addresses transportation and land use consistency, which is required for air quality analysis mandated by the CAAA and TEA21. A GIS module embedded in TELUM allows the users to view, print, and perform geographic analysis of zonal land use, demographic, and employment data entered by the user and forecasts created by the model.

Click here for a TELUM Overview slide show presentation.