Almost half of the parcels identified as having development potential would fall under California’s new transit-oriented density law.
A new study from nonprofit housing advocacy group Enterprise Community Partners identifies almost 3,000 parcels of land owned by California transit agencies that could be developed into new housing, reports Ryan Kushner in Smart Cities Dive.
“As many as 240,000 affordable homes could be developed on the nearly 8,000 acres of identified land, 22% of which is currently vacant or used for parking, the report found.” Several agencies, like Los Angeles Metro and Santa Cruz Metro, already have transit-oriented development (TOD) programs aimed at increasing housing on land adjacent to transit stations.
According to Kushner, “A large number of the parcels identified by Enterprise also meet walkability goals, with 82% located within half a mile of at least one bus stop, 24% within half a mile of at least one light rail stop and 16% within half a mile of at least one metro stop.”
More than half of the parcels, 1,507, are in Southern California, and 800 are in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to the report, 41 percent of the properties identified meet state criteria for higher-density development based on a new law passed last year.
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