You drank the Kool-Aid; you know that if you link transit and land use to create transit-oriented development (TOD) the result is fewer car trips and a host of benefits. From Portland to Miami, Boston to Los Angeles, a record number of TODs are being built in the US. Yet most bankers, developers and regulators are drinking from a different cup. As a result the majority of new development adjacent to transit stops in America has been built in a manner oblivious to the fact that a rail stop is nearby.
Transit-Oriented Development
TOD at Hollywood & Western, 10 Years Later
Stephen Box, a bicycle advocate in Los Angeles, reviews the famous TOD project at the intersection of Hollywood and Western 10 years after it opened. Is "It's Not As Bad As It Used To Be" enough?
SoapBoxLA
Turning Big Box Blocks Into Mixed-Use
Mesa, AZ is adding a new land use category to its general plan to promote mixed-use, high-density development along the light-rail corridor- specifically in an area of West Mesa formerly dominated by WalMart.
East Valley Tribune
TOD Down Under
Transit-oriented development is catching on in Australia, as several projects spring up around Brisbane. The article is accompanied by a photo gallery of recent developments.
Brisbane Times
TOD Gets Green Light in Utah
Draper, UT will soon be seeing new transit-oriented development, where there will be no building height restrictions or population caps.
Deseret News
'Housing That Works' Plan Announced
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced that within the next five years, $5 billion will go to funding 20,000 new affordable homes near public transportation.
The Architect's Newspaper
Should Industrial Neighborhoods Be Made 'Livable'?
With the success of livability efforts in Minneapolis, efforts are underway to do the same for the Hiawatha light rail corridor. But active industry and historically significant grain silos create a challenge for new development.
MinnPost
From Mansion to Condo
According to the New York Times, more than half of recent home sales in Los Angeles are condos, as density around transit, particularly downtown, becomes de rigeur.
The New York Times
Obama's Energy Platform Has a (Small) Livable Cities Plank
Discussion of high speed rail, livable cities and federal transportation funding reform is starting to make its way into presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign talks and energy platform.
Streetsblog
What IS Mixed-Use, Anyway?
"Mixed-use"? "transit-oriented development"? Development in Farmington, Utah hits a wall while the planning commission debates definitions.
The Salt Lake Tribune
Challenges Ahead for Tyson's Corner To Become Livable City
Tyson's Corner, an auto-oriented suburb of Washington, D.C., reveals ambitious plans to become a dense, urban community. Officials are bracing themselves for tough opposition from locals. The Washington Post story includes a video report.
The Washington Post
Trains on the Brooklyn Bridge?
In the early days, trolleys and trains carried 400,000 passengers a day over the Brooklyn Bridge. With continued growth in pedestrian traffic, a former transit commissioner says a rail renaissance might not be so far-fetched.
NY1 News
Debunking The Myths About TOD
Responding to critics of Denver's planned TOD developments, TOD expert John Renne responds to four common misconceptions about transit-oriented development.
The Rocky Mountain News
The Transformation Of A Light Rail Corridor
Seattle's new light rail line is poised to usher in a new era for Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Though most are excited about the new development, the fear of gentrification has made some residents worry that they won't be around to reap the benefits.
The Seattle Times
Bay Area TODs Helping To Cut Emissions
New transit towns around the Bay Area's BART stations are attracting residents who value the convenience and savings of a walkable community and nearby transit.
The San Francisco Chronicle
From Parking Lot To Pedestrian-Friendly
The University of Utah wants to transform an eight acre parking lot near its stadium light rail station into shops, offices and condos.
The Salt Lake Tribune
Land Value Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit: The Case of Bogotá’s TransMilenio
During the last decade, bus rapid transit (BRT) has revolutionized regional transportation planning in much of the developing and developed world.
Lincoln Institute, Land Lines
With transit you can grow better, but not more.
Tue, 06/05/2007 - 01:45
The protesters at Chicago’s Grant Park in 1968 might have been talking about Denver’s multi-billion dollar FasTracks rail expansion while they chanted “the whole world is watching.” With 50+ new transit stations the Denver region has an opportunity no modern American city has been able to realize – to build a regional rail network and link it with land use planning to accommodate growth without diminishing livability.
Part of the conversation in Denver is will FasTracks help the region’s competitiveness and capture more growth than it would otherwise? Or is the best planners can do is to use FasTracks as a tool to grow better by reshaping the growth that is already coming?
Part of the conversation in Denver is will FasTracks help the region’s competitiveness and capture more growth than it would otherwise? Or is the best planners can do is to use FasTracks as a tool to grow better by reshaping the growth that is already coming?
The Market for Transit Oriented Development: Niche or Mainstream?
Mon, 04/23/2007 - 06:50
In 1996, my professor at the University of Colorado introduced a new concept – Transit Oriented Development (TOD). An emerging group of professionals that included New Urbanists were advocating the idea, but few on-the-ground examples existed. The debate within the planning field during those years focused on the marketability of a mixed-use product. TODs would have to overcome large obstacles. Banks were hesitant to finance an “unproven” product. Developers wondered if they could pass on higher construction costs to buyers, retailers questioned if there would be enough customers to fill their stores, and planners questioned if TODs would lead to changes in travel behavior. A decade later, many continue to ask the same questions about TOD although the difference today is that there are many successful examples to showcase and study. TOD is gaining popularity and widespread appeal but an important unanswered question remains – will TOD remain a niche product or will it become a mainstream development concept?
