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Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)

A USDOT University Transportation Center

Encourage Transit-Oriented Development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban planning strategy that mixes residential and commercial development to create walkable, high-density, mixed-use environments.1,2 This results in a shift from a more automobile-centered urban environment to one that is more pedestrian and transit friendly. Bringing housing, jobs and commerce closer together so that people can live a greater portion of their lives in their community is a major component of this approach. It also means location-efficient development, where affordable housing, employment and public facilities are located in accessible areas. Accessible neighborhoods may be walkable and have robust transit access, so that local governments can reduce parking needs for citizens in these neighborhoods that own fewer than average vehicles. TOD focuses on combatting the problems associated with traffic congestion, urban sprawl, and single-use development.

Some of the components and benefits of TOD include:
– Emphasizing a walkable design with pedestrians at the center of efforts
– Well-connected streets with mixed land use patterns (including office, residential, and retail spaces)
– Easily accessible and more compact public transit stations
– Reduced parking space availability in certain areas to discourage vehicle use
– Permitting only certain vehicle types (ex: low-emitting vehicles) to use certain roads

Considering this strategy will help achieve the goal of the following objectives

  • Less Contamination
  • Less Emissions
  • Less Traffic Noise
  • Connectivity and Inclusion
  • Healthy Destinations
  • Less Traffic Violence
  • Active Transportation
  • Green Space

Transportation lifecycle phases

This strategy is associated with the following transportation lifecycle phases:

  • Construction
  • End of Life
  • Maintenance
  • Material Selection
  • Operations
  • Policy and Planning
  • Project Development

Who's involved

  • Local governments
  • MPOs
  • Private developers
  • Transit agencies
  • Vulnerable road users
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban planning strategy that mixes residential and commercial development to create walkable, high-density, mixed-use environments.1,2 This results in a shift from a more automobile-centered urban environment to one that is more pedestrian and transit friendly. Bringing housing, jobs and commerce closer together so that people can live a greater portion of their lives in their community is a major component of this approach. It also means location-efficient development, where affordable housing, employment and public facilities are located in accessible areas. Accessible neighborhoods may be walkable and have robust transit access, so that local governments can reduce parking needs for citizens in these neighborhoods that own fewer than average vehicles. TOD focuses on combatting the problems associated with traffic congestion, urban sprawl, and single-use development.
Some of the components and benefits of TOD include:
-Emphasizing a walkable design with pedestrians at the center of efforts
-Well-connected streets with mixed land use patterns (including office, residential, and retail spaces)
-Easily accessible and more compact public transit stations
-Reduced parking space availability in certain areas to discourage vehicle use
-Permitting only certain vehicle types (ex: low-emitting vehicles) to use certain roads

How it Helps

TOD can reduce the need for driving by encouraging individuals to utilize active or public forms of transportation, thus reducing both vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and vehicle emissions.3,4 In turn, this can mitigate some of the effects of climate change associated with the transportation sector. TOD can also be designed to mitigate sources of noise pollution, such as careful placement of transit stops and mixed land use patterns.5 This will promote healthier lifestyles since individuals will not be as exposed to transportation-related pollution and have more opportunities to engage in physical activity. Creating neighborhoods with diverse mixes of uses, incomes, and transportation modes can make it easier for people to live close to work, school, and amenities and reduce the need for vehicular commuting. It will provide community members with greater mobility to access health promoting resources such as grocery stores, doctor’s offices, and parks. Residents within transit-oriented developments can also experience up to one-fifth the total traffic casualty rate as compared to automobile-centered communities.6
The compactness and mixed-use development patterns can also reserve more urban areas for green space which has many positive health benefits. These include mental health improvements, greater physical activity, improved social connectedness, reduced noise levels, and many others.7
TOD has the potential to improve housing equity by providing more housing options and reduce transportation costs by eliminating the need to own a personal vehicle. Therefore, these individuals will have a greater share of their household income designated toward other necessary expenses.

Implementing

Funding:

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes a $68.8 million Pilot Program for Transit Oriented Development. Eligible state or local governmental authorities can apply for this grant program to improve transit access for pedestrians and bicyclists, enable more mixed-use development, and identify other infrastructure needs.

Equity Concerns:

One potential downside of TOD is that it can lead to gentrification in historically lower-income urban areas by raising property values.8 This can drive residents out of these neighborhoods and farther away from the benefits of TOD such as access to transit options and safe, walkable infrastructure. Therefore, these concerns should be kept in mind when implementing TOD to ensure that these communities are invested in and revitalized.

Examples

1) Arlington County, Virginia Investments in TOD

The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in Arlington County, Virginia is well-known for its investments in transit-oriented development, with nearly 40% of trips in this area made by public transit, walking, or biking.

https://smartergrowth.net/virginia/arlington/

2) Chicago, Illinois TOD Policy

Chicago implemented a TOD policy in 2013 to increase transit use and more walkable communities in order to reduce traffic congestion and protect public health. Chicago has evolved its TOD policy to extend public transit in previously excluded neighborhoods.

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/sites/etod/Pdfs/ETOD-Policy-Plan_Full_9-14-20.pdf

3) Houston, Texas Proposed TOD Ordinance

The City of Houston’s Planning and Development Department presented a ‘Proposed Walkable Places and Transit-Oriented Development Ordinances’ with the goals of integrating pedestrians with the environment, having a mix of land uses, implementing a multi-modal street design, among others.

https://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/qol/20200624/Walkable-Places.pdf

4) Superblocks in Barcelona

The city of Barcelona developed a ‘Superblock’ urban design concept, and within each superblock contains green streets that are closed to most vehicular traffic. Therefore, walking and biking are the primary forms of transport, and the areas have experienced improved air quality, less noise pollution, and greater rates of physical activity. Although there was some pushback from the community over implementing these designs, the city council has focused on fostering equality, and the community has since welcomed the positive changes that superblocks have brought.

https://www.citiesforum.org/news/superblock-superilla-barcelona-a-city-redefined/

1. Federal Transit Administration. (2023). Transit-Oriented Development. https://www.transit.dot.gov/TOD
2. Transit-Oriented Development Institute. http://www.tod.org/
3. Center for Neighborhood Technology. (2010). Transit Oriented Development and The Potential for VMT-related Greenhouse Gas Emissions Growth Reduction. https://cnt.org/sites/default/files/publications/TOD-Potential-GHG-Emissions-Growth.FINAL_.pdf
4. Ashik, F. R., et al. (2022). Investigating the impacts of transit-oriented development on transport-related CO2 emissions. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2022.103227
5. Yildirim, Y., et al. (2019). The Relationship between Sound and Amenities of Transit-Oriented Developments. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 16(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132413
6. American Public Transportation Association. (2016). The Hidden Traffic Safety Solution: Public Transportation. https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/Resources/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Hidden-Traffic-Safety-Solution-Public-Transportation.pdf
7. Cox, L., et al. (2013). Land Use: A Powerful Determinant of Sustainable & Healthy Communities. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/fy13productnheerl4121land_use_synthesis.pdf
8. c40 Knowledge Hub. (2021). How to implement transit-oriented development. https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/How-to-implement-transit-oriented-development?language=en_US