Transit-Oriented Development In The U.S.

"Focusing development around transit facilities has become a significant way toimprove accessibility, support community and regional goals of enhancing the qualityof life, and support the financial success of transit investment. The experiences of a newgeneration of transit systems highlight the powerful role that transit investments play inchanneling urban development. Benefits attributable to transit-oriented development(TOD) initiatives include improved air quality, preservation of open space, pedestrianfriendlyenvironments, increased ridership and revenue, reduction of urban sprawl, andreorientation of urban development patterns around both rail and bus transit facilities.

Today, many transit systems and communities across the country are participatingin TOD programs. TOD participants range from small local and intercity bus systemswith community-related services to large local and intercity rail systems with numerousprojects. Increasingly, transit agencies are looking at programs and analyzing real-estatecompetitiveness to solicit developer interest. This report defines TOD and joint developmentand offers insight into the various aspects of implementing TOD, includingpolitical and institutional factors; planning and land-use strategies, benefits, and impacts;fiscal considerations and partnerships; and design challenges and considerations.

Robert Cervero, of the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at the Universityof California at Berkeley, was the report’s principal author. To achieve the project’sobjective of summarizing the state of the practice of TOD, the research team performeda literature review, conducted a comprehensive survey, performed interviews,and conducted 10 case studies. The 10 case studies (Boston, New Jersey, the Washington[D.C.] Metropolitan Area, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Colorado, Portland, the SanFrancisco Bay Area, and Southern California) covered a range of TOD designs andpractices.

The report focuses on TOD and joint development and practice; the level of collaborationbetween various partners (e.g., the development community, financial partners,planning and land-use agencies, and government entities); the impacts of TOD andjoint development on land values; the potential benefits of TOD; and successful designprinciples and characteristics.

Thanks to The Practice of New Urbanism