New York Suburbs Lure TOD For Revitalization

Officials in suburban New York towns are putting more effort into luring developers to build housing near their transit stations -- a revitalization method that has shown success around the country.

1 minute read

October 9, 2007, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"In addition to communities like Great Neck and Long Beach, which have long had housing near the Long Island Rail Road station, towns and villages in both Nassau and Suffolk County have found that building homes near the train is central to reinvigorating struggling downtown business districts where many of the stations are situated."

"There are plans or completed condos within walking distance of train stations in Freeport, Patchogue, Riverhead and Islip, among others. Many projects include shops to serve the new residents. The village of Mineola, the Nassau County seat, has started implementing a master plan 'almost exclusively centered on building residential down by the train station,' according to the mayor, Jack Martins."

"Village officials seek to attract proposals for new condominiums near the train station by granting additional floors, and therefore more apartments, to developers. The mayor also expressed the belief that the higher density would keep prices for the new units low."

Monday, October 8, 2007 in The New York Times

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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