Six principles for building vibrant, accessible communities with a focus on sustainable transportation.
An article by Brendan Hurley in Momentum offers “a brief overview into a strategic framework for urban development that prioritizes sustainable and transit-friendly living” informed by lessons gleaned from Vancouver’s TransLink transit authority using ‘6 Ds.’
“Shaped by a commitment to enhancing transit corridors and discouraging unnecessary driving, the outlined strategies aim to create urban environments that are not only well-connected but also environmentally conscious, fostering a balance between functionality and sustainability,” Hurley writes.
The first D, destinations, emphasizes the need for TOD projects to be in appropriate, high-demand locations. The second, distance, calls for a “fine-grained” pedestrian, bike, and transit network that keeps walking distances manageable between as many destinations as possible.
Other principles include design for bikes and pedestrians, density, and diversity: “A mix of housing types, uses, tenures, sizes, price points, retail, leisure and employment opportunities allows a resilient balance of activities and jobs in easy walking and biking range.”
The final D, demand management, calls for “Measures that make it less easy to drive or that express the real cost of car use” to promote a shift to more sustainable transit modes.
FULL STORY: The 6 D’s of Sustainable Transit-Oriented Development
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions