Tying housing and land acquisition funding to transit projects could make dense, walkable development easier and more cost-effective.
Federal funding for transit-oriented development (TOD) is often siloed into its separate transportation and housing elements, making it more difficult to build developments that ostensibly combine transportation and housing to create more walkable and affordable communities.
As Kalena Thomhave explains in Smart Cities Dive, this is a problem because transit agencies often don’t own enough land to make development near stations possible. An analysis from the Urban Institute found that “housing is much more likely to be built far from transit, where land and housing costs are lower. Between 2000 and 2019, more than eight times as many housing units were built far from transit than nearby, according to the analysis.”
Cities can promote the integration of housing and transportation by creating a “dedicated land acquisition program” that would be tasked with identifying land acquisition opportunities near transit stations and tie funding for housing programs to transportation projects. In Seattle, Sound Transit has completed several TOD projects that pair new housing with light rail lines.
FULL STORY: How to ease the path to transit-oriented housing development
California Bill Aims to Boost TOD
A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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