Implementing dense, walkable neighborhoods with high-quality public spaces around transit stations encourages more people to use transit while simultaneously decreasing automobile travel and congestion.
TOD projects typically necessitate changes to zoning codes and development practices, and can be implemented both incrementally in existing suburban areas with existing transit infrastructure as well as within newly created urban neighborhoods.
What is TOD?
TOD (Transit-oriented development) is an approach to urban planning that centers on public transit hubs, encouraging sustainable living and decreasing car dependence. TOD neighborhoods often consist of dense mixed-use communities offering housing, retail space, office space, cultural attractions and public spaces within walking distance.
TOD strategies can range from new suburban neighborhoods designed around transit stations, to incremental changes to existing urban neighborhoods that provide access to public transit. A common TOD design features a central, low-rise or mid-rise station surrounded by higher density development with lower density areas surrounding it and radiating out from it.
Residents living near TODs tend to rely more on public transit (Cervero et al, 2004). TODs also bring economic advantages; with property taxes, developer fees, and utility rates reflecting reduced public services costs associated with clustered development – making public transportation more affordable and competitive with private vehicles; this also enables municipalities to leverage increased land values for additional transit improvements, affordable housing solutions, or sustainable initiatives.
Why is TOD important?
TOD can not only increase access to jobs and services, but can also enhance affordability by making living closer to public transportation more feasible. Furthermore, TOD encourages physical activity as a means of combatting obesity and chronic diseases as well as reduce environmental impacts through lower automobile use and more sustainable development practices.
TOD is vital because it creates practical, mixed-use urban neighborhoods that accommodate travel, housing, retail, schools and parks in a sustainable way. Traditional auto-oriented planning often results in extensive road networks and parking lots which detract from local character and undermine a community’s sustainability goals.
TOD can be controversial when seen as an attempt to maximize return on investment, increase property values and expel lower-income residents. Communities implementing TOD should implement equitable planning strategies to ensure benefits are distributed evenly, including policies against gentrification and displacement as well as measures protecting small businesses and residents.
How can TOD be implemented?
TOD (transit-oriented development) is an urban planning approach which encourages walkable communities with high density mixed-use areas and easy access to public transit. Its key characteristics are well-designed pedestrian facilities, narrow streets and gradual tapering off of building size further from a public transit node (known as “transit villages”).
TOD typically requires residential and commercial development with densities of at least 6 units/acre for Residential Centers and 25 employees/acre for Commercial Centers if the community is highly walkable, the work trip reduction programs are effective, and transit agencies provide exceptional service quality (Pushkarev & Zupan 1977; Cervero et al 2004).
Communities should be involved from the outset of TOD projects to ensure equitable results, by working closely with residents, business owners and community-based organizations to incorporate their input into design processes and project implementation.
What are the benefits of TOD?
TODs offer cities a powerful tool to leverage existing infrastructure and achieve greater efficiencies, sustainability, affordability and equity for their communities. However, TOD isn’t always an answer – sometimes TOD can even have adverse repercussions for communities such as displacement of low-income residents and businesses, increased pressure on services/infrastructure, as well as greenhouse gas emissions increases.
TOD offers several advantages, such as:
TODs provide more sustainable cities by encouraging less driving and cutting emissions of air pollution, energy consumption and greenhouse gases (GHG). Walking neighborhoods also help lower crime rates while simultaneously increasing property values. Furthermore, TOD has been linked with higher productivity as it reduces operating costs and externalities associated with transit systems – thus increasing returns on public investments such as public transit investments as well as providing accessibility for people with disabilities, seniors and families with young children as well as helping promote a more active and healthier lifestyle – plus walkable neighborhoods can reduce crime rates while simultaneously increasing property values – another plus for TODs is accessibility provided for people living or shopping inside TODs which helps decrease air pollution levels, energy consumption, carbon emissions as well as decrease externalities associated with transit systems reducing operating costs as externalities while transit systems increase returns while operating costs decrease externalities while operating costs/externals related externalities associated with operating costs/externals associated with externalities reducing operating costs/externals while externalities that may exist elsewhere reducing externalities associated with operating costs/externality costs/externality associated with higher productivity/more sustainable cities as promoting accessibility and opportunities for those living/working/shopping within them; TOD also providing accessibility opportunities for people living/ working/ shopping there as it promotes accessible lifestyle and reduce crime rates while simultaneously increasing property values due to reduced operating costs/externality externalities are reduced while increasing returns/externality costs/ externalities through reduced operating costs/externalsities etc; it increases their returns thus thereby increasing operating costs/ externalities by eliminating operating costs/ externalities related operating costs/ex externalities reduction through reduced operating costs/externality city planning policies etc; increased productivity etc enhancing more sustainable cities/ city which increases returns increase productivity/ shopping etc… etc etc… etc….etc…. etc… etc… etc… more sustainable city……. TOD has also links reducing operating costs/operans increase productivity/ more sustainable city. TOD linked higher productivity/ sustainability city. Also provides accessibility/ externalities related cities more sustainable cities etc and produces higher productivity/…also provides opportunities for the latter but more sustainable city overall productivity/ex externalities etc resulting in all for residents thereby creating sustainable cities more than other options while TOD related issues related expenses and city. TOD also providing accessibility/ / etc… TOD provides accessibility/, more sustainable city etc etc… more productivity more sustainable city. TOD can help promote active healthy lifestyle… walkable neighborhoods have reduced crime rates plus increases property values etc etc….