A Decade-Plus in the Making—Transit Village Comes to a Posh Bay Area Suburb

The city of Walnut Creek, located in the East San Francisco Bay Area, will soon gain 600 new, transit-adjacent apartments and a whole lot of parking.

1 minute read

September 7, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


BART Map

sevenMaps7 / Shutterstock

Earlier this week, BART and Walnut Creek officials "helped kick off a long-planned 'transit village' project that will include not only the added [900-stall BART] parking and [600 new] apartments but 12,000 square feet of retail space," reports Sam Richards.

The premise of the article is whether the new development will be a help or a hindrance to the city's congestion. BART officials and the developer of the project say transit oriented development will reduce traffic.

The article includes more details about the project, which was first presented in draft form by Walnut Creek planners in 2005.

The Walnut Creek transit village isn't the only transit oriented development coming soon to the suburban reaches of the BART system. "BART board member [Rebecca] Saltzman said the Walnut Creek Transit Village will be the newest of several others either already online (Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre, BART Coliseum) or farther along in planning or construction (San Leandro, El Cerrito). BART’s formal goal, she said, is for 20,000 new housing units near its stations by 2040," according to Richards.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017 in The Mercury News

portrait of professional woman

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. Mary G., Urban Planner

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.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

45 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of flooding during Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls

The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.

1 hour ago - NC Newsline

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

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.