Transit Oriented Development

Are TODs Really PODs?

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 09:22

For a while now, I've wondered if we have been mislabeling the development around well functioning transit stops as transit-oriented developments (TODs). This may seem odd, because numerous studies have shown that property values can increase by 20% to 40% percent around transit stops, particularly rail stations (although the increases are uneven).

TOD Booms in California

Transit oriented development is on the rise in California, with new projects being pushed in conjunction with new rail lines in Southern California and the Bay Area.
23 August 2011 - 7:00am
The Architect's Newspaper

Land Use Impacts On Travel: Current State of Knowledge

Mon, 07/18/2011 - 05:48

As discussed in my previous column, An Inaccurate Attack On Smart Growth, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) sponsored a research program intended to raise doubts about smart growth’s ability to reduce vehicle travel, conserve energy and reduce pollution emissions.

Building in Affordability

Rebecca Cohen and Emily Salomon of the Center for Housing Policy examine existing policy tools to preserve and expand affordable housing near planned transit stations.
15 March 2011 - 5:00am
Shelterforce

TOD in 3D

Oregon's Metro has developed a measure for transit-orientation, which uses 3 dimensions to convey the relative diversity in form and activity across the Portland region.
13 March 2011 - 1:00pm
Metro News

Transit Accessibility Key to Green

Homes located near transit stops are more energy efficient than homes classified "energy efficient", according to a new study from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
10 March 2011 - 5:00am
USA Today

Struggling Towards TOD on Long Island

Developers on Long Island are hoping to build transit-oriented developments as a way of keeping young residents on the island and increasing the amount of affordable housing. But some local opposition is standing in the way.
20 September 2010 - 10:00am
The New York Times

Residents Who Live Near Public Transportation Live Healthier, Longer Lives

Study indicates that public transit improvements and more transit oriented development can provide large but often overlooked health benefits.
15 August 2010 - 1:00pm
APTA

A Prescription for TOD

Renata Simril, regional VP for national developer Forest City, describes the financing and policy mechanisms she sees as necessary to bring TOD to cities.
8 July 2010 - 2:00pm
The Planning Report

BART Expansion Raises Questions About TOD in San Jose

Plans to expand the Bay Area's BART system to the Silicon Valley have brought into question the future of a San Jose flea market that some want to turn into a transit-oriented development.
2 July 2010 - 9:00am
The Wall Street Journal

Reversing California's Sprawl with SB 375 and TOD

A new report from the Urban Land Institute finds that California's VMT-focused Senate Bill 375 can potentially reverse the state's sprawl. Transit-oriented development is seen as a strong strategy.
23 June 2010 - 7:00am
The City Fix

Transit Oriented Development in Los Angeles a Tricky Issue

A debate is simmering in Los Angeles between transit planners, developers, urban planners, and community activists about the future of transit-oriented development.
13 June 2010 - 9:00am
Los Angeles Streetsblog

Raise My Taxes, Please! Financing High Quality Public Transit Service Saves Me Money Overall

Mon, 02/22/2010 - 08:33

Most North American cities offer only basic public transit service, with limited coverage and frequency, modest speeds, unattractive waiting areas, poor land use integration, and few amenities. Such service is used primarily by people who lack alternatives. In such communities, riders tend to abandon public transit as soon as feasible.

Carfree Design Manual

Mon, 02/08/2010 - 09:46

As planners, one of our roles is to help stretch the scope of what is considered possible. For example, between 1950 and 2000 most development was highly automobile-dependent, based on the assumption that almost all travel would be by personal automobile and other modes were relatively unimportant. This pattern is so well established that many people have difficulty imagining anything different. It is useful to help people understand the full range of options available, from automobile dependency to carfree communities.

Houston To Require Better Walkability Around Transit Stations

City officials in Houston have unanimously approved zoning and policy changes that will encourage walkable development around the city's expanding light rail network.
21 August 2009 - 6:00am
The Houston Chronicle

Denver to Replace Public Housing Project with Mixed Use TOD

The Denver Housing Authority is planning on demolishing one of the city's oldest low-income public housing projects to make way for a new mixed-use, transit-oriented housing development.
13 August 2009 - 6:00am
The Denver Post

TOD Around Vancouver's New Rapid Transit, But What Kind?

As a planned rapid transit line gets closer to completion in Vancouver, there's a debate brewing about what sort of development should spring up around it.
21 July 2009 - 11:00am
The Vancouver Sun

Comprehensive Evaluation of Transit Oriented Development Benefits

Sun, 06/07/2009 - 16:14

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) refers to communities with high quality public transit services, good walkability, and compact, mixed land use. This allows people to choose the best option for each trip: walking and cycling for local errands, convenient and comfortable public transit for travel along major urban corridors, and automobile travel to more dispersed destinations. People who live and work in such communities tend to own fewer vehicles, drive less, and rely more on alternative modes.

TOD Slowly Catching on in Philadelphia

Transit oriented development is lacking near many of Philadelphia's transit stops, but new projects are bringing the city up to speed.
3 May 2009 - 7:00am
The Philadelphia Daily News

D.C. Stadium Bill is Really TOD Bill in Disguise

This column argues that legislation to build a new stadium for Washington D.C.'s professional soccer team is also a move to jumpstart development around many of the area's transit stations.
11 April 2009 - 5:00am
The Gazette
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