TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) is an urban development style focused around high quality transit services such as light rail and bus systems.
TOD helps boost sustainable transit ridership while creating vibrant communities, as well as reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
TODs can be defined as communities comprised of medium to high density housing and retail located within walking distance of a transit station or corridor.
Transportation
TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) can draw jobs, housing and businesses together in neighborhoods close to transit stations. Furthermore, TOD promotes walking and cycling as healthy alternatives to driving – both can save both time and money compared to driving alone.
Communities can promote TOD by streamlining the permitting process for projects within a certain distance from transit stations, and providing incentives like tax credits or funding that encourage its development.
Communities need to coordinate growth and transportation in an equitable manner. TOD can play an essential role in providing housing options for people of all income levels, decreasing automobile use and greenhouse gases emissions, as well as creating opportunities to increase public safety, social connection and economic competitiveness within neighborhoods near high-quality transit – providing additional safety, social connectivity and economic advantage to projects with TOD elements. TOD projects should include strategies for equitable community engagement.
Housing
Many, though not all TODs, provide a range of housing options–from single-family homes and townhouses to townhouses, duplexes, apartments above stores and small apartment buildings–that allow households of various types and income levels to take advantage of living near transit. But TODs may also increase housing costs or lead to gentrification; in order to mitigate such effects during project development. Equitable processes must therefore be utilized during TOD planning phases in order to avoid such adverse outcomes.
Unfortunately, transportation agencies often lack the capacity to consider housing opportunities when planning new rail lines. Furthermore, state agencies lack enough data and procedures in place to identify areas with more flexible zoning or land acquisition that would enable more housing near transit. The federal government could assist by offering grants associated with CIG funding for cities or transportation agencies who commit to purchasing land around stations specifically for TOD development.
Jobs
As cities attempt to reduce carbon emissions and enhance livability, many are shifting towards creating jobs, housing and services around high-quality public transit stations as a strategy for sustainable urban planning. This trend has quickly expanded.
TODs designed well are effective tools for increasing sustainable transit ridership, revitalizing communities and strengthening regional economic competitiveness. In addition, TODs create job growth opportunities as well as increasing access to affordable homes across income levels.
TOD projects can also facilitate non-automotive travel choices, including local and regional transit, walking, biking and emerging forms of last mile mobility. These options allow everyone to meet their travel goals while simultaneously decreasing congestion costs to the environment and economy.
Retail
Retail is essential to transit-oriented development (TOD). TOD can attract younger residents more likely to support local small businesses and shop at places they know and trust while improving access to amenities and essentials.
TOD can also maximize public investment in transit by increasing ridership and generating revenue for its agency, thus lowering transportation costs for residents and businesses, improving air quality and energy consumption while creating jobs.
TOD can be promoted by creating and enforcing zoning codes that permit compact residential and commercial developments of higher density near transit stations and stops, including apartment buildings, condos, townhomes and single-family homes as well as offices, shops, community facilities and civic amenities.
Community
Communities thrive along transit corridors when neighborhoods are diverse and welcoming, creating equitable TOD through various implementation partnerships and innovative tools to support housing, jobs and economic opportunity.
Incentive programs and subsidies can be employed to promote affordable TOD near public transportation stations. Policies may also help maintain lasting affordability even as market conditions shift, including protecting tenant protections.
TOD can be integrated into community planning and development processes to increase the public value of transit investments. A new tool provides communities with an efficient method for identifying TOD opportunities at a neighborhood level based on factors like walkability, bikeability, development potential and existing infrastructure – available here.