Transit-oriented development
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A transit-oriented development (TOD) is a mixed-use
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. A TOD neighborhood typically has a center with a transit station or stop (train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
, metro station
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
, tram stop
Tram stop
A tram stop is a place designated for a tram to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, but because trams operate on rails, they often include railway platforms, especially if stepless entries are provided for accessibility...
, or bus stop
Bus stop
A bus stop is a designated place where buses stop for passengers to board or leave a bus. These are normally positioned on the highway and are distinct from off-highway facilities such as bus stations. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage...
), surrounded by relatively high-density development with progressively lower-density development spreading outward from the center. TODs generally are located within a radius of one-quarter to one-half mile (400 to 800 m) from a transit stop, as this is considered to be an appropriate scale for pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s.
Many of the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
s created after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
have many of the characteristics of TOD communities. In a sense, nearly all communities built on reclaimed land in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
or as exurban developments in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
have had the local equivalent of TOD principles integrated in their planning, including the promotion of bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s for local use.
Transit-oriented development is sometimes distinguished by some planning officials from "transit-proximate development
Transit-proximate development
Transit-proximate development is a term used by some planning officials to describe development that is physically near a public transport node...
" (see, e.g. comments made during a Congressional hearing ) because it contains specific features that are designed to encourage public transport use and differentiate the development from urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
. Examples of these features include mixed-use development that will use transit at all times of day, excellent pedestrian facilities such as high quality pedestrian crossings, narrow streets, and tapering of buildings as they become more distant from the public transport node. Another key feature of transit-oriented development that differentiates it from "transit-proximate development" is reduced amounts of parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
for personal vehicles.
TOD in Cities
Many cities throughout the world are developing TOD policy. Denver, MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, San Francisco, and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
among many other cities have developed, and continue to write policies and strategic plans which aim to reduce automobile dependency and increase the use of public transit.
Guatemala City, Guatemala
In an attempt to control rapid growth of Guatemala CityGuatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala) headed by long time Mayor Álvaro Arzú
Álvaro Arzú
Álvaro Enrique Arzú Yrigoyen was the 32nd President of Guatemala from January 14, 1996 until January 14, 2000...
, has implemented a plan to control its growth based on transects along its important arterial roads and exhibitting Transit-oriented development (TOD) characteristics. This plan denominated POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial) aims to allow taller building structures of mixed uses to be built next to large arterial roads and gradually decline in height and density as you move away from such. This is simultaneously being implemented along with a Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
{BRT} system called Transmetro
Transmetro
Transmetro is a bus rapid transit system in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Service began with its first line opening on February 3, 2007. Unlike other bus routes in Guatemala City, it is serviced by a fleet of modern Volvo buses made by Ciferal in Brasil. The buses have fixed stops and partly run on...
.
Curitiba, Brazil
Curitiba
Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is the largest city with the biggest economy of both Paraná and southern Brazil. The population of Curitiba numbers approximately 1.75 million people and the latest GDP figures for the city surpass US$61 billion according to...
, in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Curitiba was organized into transport corridors very early in its history.
Over the years, it has integrated its zoning and transportation to place high density development next to high capacity transportation.
Since the failure of its first, rather grandiose, city plan due to lack of funding, Curitiba has focused on working with economical forms of infrastructure, so it has arranged unique adaptations, such as bus routes (inexpensive infrastructure) with routing systems, limited access and speeds similar to subway systems.
The source of innovation in Curitiba has been a unique form of participatory city planning that emphasizes public education, discussion and agreement.
San Francisco, CA Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
includes nine counties and 101 cities, including San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
. Local and regional governments encourage transit-oriented development to decrease traffic congestion, protect natural areas, promote public health and increase housing options. The region has designated Priority Development Areas and Priority Conservation Areas. Current population forecasts for the region predict that it will grow by 2 million people by 2035 due to both the natural birth rate and job creation, and estimate that 50% of this growth can be accommodated in Priority Development Areas through transit-oriented development.
Major transit village projects have been developed over the past 20 years at several stations linked to the Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
(BART) system. In their 1996 book, Transit Villages in the 21st Century, Michael Bernick
Michael S. Bernick
Michael S. Bernick served as Director of California’s labor department, the Employment Development Department from 1999 to 2004. He is a practitioner and theorist of job training...
and Robert Cervero identified emerging transit villages at several BART stations, including Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill (BART station)
Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station serving the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village in Contra Costa Centre, California, just north of Walnut Creek and just east of Pleasant Hill.-Overview:...
, Fruitvale, Hayward
Hayward (BART station)
The Hayward station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station that serves the Downtown Hayward area of Hayward, California. It is directly across the street from the rear of Hayward City Hall. The station consists of two train platforms and a free five-level parking garage.-History:Service at the...
and Richmond.
Vancouver, BC
Greater Vancouver has had a strong history of creating new development around its SkyTrainSkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
lines and also created the concept of regional town centres around the major stations and transit corridors. Of note is the Metrotown area of the suburb of Burnaby, BC near the Metrotown SkyTrain Station. The areas around stations have spurred the development of billions of dollars of high-density real estate, with multiple highrises near the many stations.
Toronto, ON
Yonge and Eglinton
Yonge and Eglinton, also known as Yonge-Eglinton or Uptown, is a neighbourhood in Midtown-Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which was once a part of the old Town of North Toronto....
area in the 1960s and 1970s; and the present development
North York Centre
North York Centre is a town centre in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to the Amalgamation of Toronto in 1998, it was considered the central business district of the former city of North York...
of the 2 km of the Yonge Street corridor north of Sheppard Avenue, which began in the late 1980s. In the period since 1997 alone the latter stretch has seen the appearance of a major new shopping centre
Empress Walk
Empress Walk is a large condominum and retail complex at the intersection of Yonge Street and Empress Avenue in the North York Centre area of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Developed by Menkes Development, Phase 1 was completed in 1997 and Phase 2 by 2000...
and the building and occupation of over twenty thousand new units of condominium housing. Since the opening of the Sheppard subway line in 2002, there is a condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
construction boom along the route on Sheppard Avenue East between Yonge Street and Don Mills Road.
Calgary, AB
Bridgeland, Calgary
The neighbourhood of Bridgeland of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is located to the immediate northeast of downtown Calgary...
. The Bridges is home to a diverse range of condos, shops, services, and parks. Some other TODs currently being constructed are London and Westbrook
Westbrook (C-Train)
The Westbrook will be the third station on the planned west line of the C-Train light rail system in Calgary, Alberta once the West line is completed in 2012. Ernest Manning High School is currently occupying the site of the station...
, both high rise condo and retail communities in suburban areas of the City. The City continues to create TOD policy for other Calgary communities. Calgary City Council has allocated funding for the creation of six Station Area Plans around the city, to guide increasing development pressure around some of the light rail transit stations. On June 9, 2008, Calgary City Council approved the first station area plan in Calgary's history.
Edmonton, AB
Most of the suburban high rises were not along major rail lines like other cities until recently, when there has been incentive to do so. Century Park is a growing condo community in southern Edmonton at the south end of Edmonton's LRTEdmonton Light Rail Transit
Edmonton Light Rail Transit, more commonly referred to as the LRT, is a light rail system in Edmonton, Alberta. Part of the Edmonton Transit System , the 20.5-kilometre route starts in Edmonton's northeast suburbs and ends at Century Park in Edmonton's south end.The ETS designates the LRT as Route...
. It will include low to high rise condos, recreational services, shops, restaurants, and a fitness centre. Edmonton has also had a transit-proximate development for some time in the northeastern suburbs at Clareview
Clareview (ETS)
Clareview Station is an LRT station operated by the Edmonton Transit System in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is located near 42 Street and 139 Avenue, and is named for the northeast Edmonton District of Clareview...
which includes a large park and ride, and low rise apartments among big box stores and associated power center parking. Edmonton is also looking into some new TODs in various parts of the city. In the northeast, there is plans to redevelop underutilized land at two sites around existing LRT, Fort Road and Stadium Station
Stadium (ETS)
Stadium Station is a station on the LRT system in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is operated by the Edmonton Transit System.The station opened on April 22, 1978, and is one of the original five stations on the LRT system...
. In the west, there is plans to have some medium density condos in the Glenora neighbourhood
Glenora, Edmonton
Glenora is a prime residential neighbourhood in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley.Glenora is bounded on the east by Groat Road, on the north by 107 Avenue, on the west by 142 Street, and on the south by the river valley and the McKinnon Ravine...
along a future LRT route as well as a TOD in the southeast in the Strathearn neighbourhood
Strathearn, Edmonton
Strathearn is a roughly triangular shaped residential neighbourhood in south central Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Most of the development in Strathearn dates to the 1940s and 1950s....
along the same future LRT on existing low rise apartments.
Hong Kong, China
In the mid-20th century, no railway was built until an area was well developed. However, in recent decades, Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
has started to have some TOD developments, where a railway is built simultaneously with residential development above or nearby. Examples include:
- LOHAS ParkLohas ParkLOHAS Park is a planned mass residential development of the MTR Corporation, situated in Tseung Kwan O Area 86, New Territories, Hong Kong. Upon its completion, it will be the largest residential development in the territory.- Name and concept:...
- Olympian CityOlympian CityOlympian City is a shopping and residential complex on the reclaimed land of Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, next to the MTR Olympic Station. It is one of the main shopping and residential areas in West Kowloon...
- Tung ChungTung ChungTung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
Melbourne, Australia
MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the fastest growing settlement in Australia, is expected to reach a population of 5 million by 2030 with the overwhelming majority of its residents relying on private automobiles. Since the turn of the century, sporadic efforts have been made by various levels of government to implement transit-oriented development principles. However, a lack of commitment to funding public transport infrastructure, resulting to overcrowding and amending zoning laws has dramatically slowed progress toward sustainable development
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
for the city.
Equity concerns
One criticism of TOD is that it has the potential to spur gentrificationGentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
in low-income areas. In some cases, TOD can raise the housing costs of formerly affordable neighborhoods, pushing low- and moderate-income residents farther away from jobs and transit. When this happens, TOD projects can disrupt low-income neighborhoods. When executed with equity in mind, however, TOD has the potential to benefit low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities: it can link workers to employment centers, create construction and maintenance jobs, and has the potential to encourage investment in areas that have suffered neglect and economic depression. TOD also reduces transportation costs, which can have a greater impact on LMI households since they spend a larger share of their income on transportation relative to higher-income households. This frees up household income that can be used on food, education, or other necessary expenses. Low-income people are also less likely to own personal vehicles and therefore more likely to depend exclusively on public
transportation to get to and from work, making reliable access to transit a necessity for their economic success.
See also
- Americas Energy and Climate SymposiumAmericas Energy and Climate SymposiumAmericas Energy and Climate Symposium is the first major energy event after the Summit of the Americas in April 2009, where U.S. President Barack Obama announced the formation of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas . ECPA is a voluntary and flexible framework for advancing energy...
- Auto-oriented development
- Principles of Intelligent UrbanismPrinciples of Intelligent UrbanismPrinciples of Intelligent Urbanism is a theory of urban planning composed of a set of ten axioms intended to guide the formulation of city plans and urban designs. They are intended to reconcile and integrate diverse urban planning and management concerns...
- Smart GrowthSmart growthSmart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...
- Streetcar suburbStreetcar suburbA streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
- Transit-proximate developmentTransit-proximate developmentTransit-proximate development is a term used by some planning officials to describe development that is physically near a public transport node...
- Transit villageTransit villageA transit village is a residential development planned around a transportation hub, such as a train station, with the intent to make it convenient for village dwellers to get to/from work or run errands and travel via a public transportation network....
- Urban consolidationUrban consolidationUrban consolidation refers to a diverse set of planning policies intended to make better use of existing urban infrastructure by encouraging development within existing urbanised areas rather than on non-urbanised land , thus limiting urban sprawl...
- Value captureValue captureValue capture refers to a type of public financing where increases in private land values generated by public investments are all or in part “captured” or recouped by the public sector...