When the Metro Orange Line was built in Arlington County, leaders deliberately shaped development around the stations. While more expensive than the least expensive option, they chose “bulls-eye” zoning that allowed high-density development near stations.
Transit-oriented development (TOD) promotes compact communities, mixed uses, and pedestrian orientation. It also encourages affordable housing and sustainable transport.
People-oriented design
People-oriented design is a planning approach that creates vibrant neighborhoods around public transit. This strategy helps reduce urban sprawl, air pollution, and traffic congestion. It also promotes sustainable economic development. Its benefits include providing residents and visitors with a variety of choices for mobility.
These options include walking, biking, ride-sharing, and car-sharing services. They also encourage more use of the bus and rail transit system. Creating TOD-friendly communities can be challenging for municipalities that have limited staff and capacity. To start, communities can pilot TOD-friendly zoning in a small area and monitor results before scaling. They can also offer incentives such as streamlined permitting.
In order to create TOD-friendly communities, it is important to make the transit system easy to access and walkable. This includes ensuring that transfer routes are direct and short, as well as making the station entrances visible and accessible. It is also important to consider the needs of local businesses and residents.
Mobility-oriented design
To make transit-oriented development successful, communities must embrace a new form of community building that promotes compact neighborhoods with multiple rather than single uses and attention to civic spaces. This type of development requires a shift in the way people live and work, but the benefits are many. They include a higher quality of life with better places to live and work; reduced transportation costs, resulting in increased disposable income; and greater economic activity, attracting more businesses and residents.
TOD can also have environmental and social benefits, including reducing reliance on cars, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving air quality and traffic congestion. In addition, it can encourage physical activity and create more vibrant, walkable neighborhoods with access to a range of amenities and services.
TOD can be implemented by adjusting local laws, investment strategies, and land-use policies to align with desired outcomes. This may include allowing high-density mixed-use development near transit, reducing parking minimums, and offering development incentives.
Environment-oriented design
Environment-oriented design focuses on building structures that blend with the natural environment and minimize resource consumption. It requires the architects to consider a variety of factors such as wind, sunlight, and topography. The result is a space that meets both aesthetic and environmental needs. It also helps to reduce the impact of buildings on the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Communities can apply TOD principles by identifying priority transit station areas or corridors and adjusting local regulations to align with desired outcomes. Examples of these changes include refining zoning to allow higher-density mixed use development near transit, reducing parking minimums, and offering incentives for developers.
Successful TOD supports compact urban communities, multiple rather than single uses, and a pedestrian orientation, while providing easy access to quality public transportation. It also encourages businesses to locate in areas with high foot traffic from transit users and local residents, resulting in greater demand for business and increased revenue.
Economic-oriented design
As average household size decreases, households want to live close to their work and other daily activities. A transit-oriented development that includes multiple housing types and a range of mobility options can help to address this need, while also creating healthy, sustainable communities. Research shows that residents of walkable communities travel 8 to 32 percent fewer miles by car and own fewer cars than those living in conventional neighborhoods.
Moreover, TOD increases the demand for local businesses and reduces energy demand by reducing vehicle miles traveled. This can result in lower energy costs for all residents and businesses and less dependence on foreign oil.
Despite these economic benefits, TOD can also contribute to residential segregation and displacement of low-income residents. Researchers have found that TOD can increase housing prices and rents in surrounding areas, resulting in gentrification. This can lead to the displacement of lower-income residents and undermine the original goals of TOD. It is important to include affordable housing in TOD and other urban planning initiatives.