In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a way of designing cities to place homes, businesses, and places for fun within walking distance of public transportation. It helps cities and public transportation work well together by creating areas that are closely packed and focused on using public transit. This approach aims to increase the number of people who use public transportation by reducing the need for private cars and encouraging growth that is better for the environment.

TOD usually includes a main public transportation stop, such as a train station, light rail stop, or bus stop. Around this stop, there are areas with many different types of buildings, such as homes and shops. These areas become less crowded as you move away from the main stop, and they are part of a larger transportation system. TOD is designed to be easier to walk in than other areas by using smaller blocks and less space for cars. In some places, it may also include ferries. Areas that focus on building homes near a central transit stop are called transit villages.

The most crowded parts of TOD are usually within a quarter to half a mile (400 to 800 meters) from the main transit stop. This distance is considered ideal for walking, which helps people reach their destinations easily from public transportation.

Description

After World War II, many new towns built in Japan, Sweden, and France share similarities with transit-oriented development (TOD) communities. In the Netherlands, areas built on reclaimed land, and in Denmark, suburban areas, often include planning ideas similar to TOD, such as encouraging bicycle use for daily travel.

In the United States, a half-mile radius around rail stations is commonly used as the standard area for TOD planning. A half-mile is about the distance someone can walk in 10 minutes at a normal walking speed (3 mph or 4.8 km/h). This area covers roughly 500 acres (2.0 km²).

Transit-oriented development is sometimes separated from "transit-proximate development" because it includes specific design features aimed at encouraging public transportation use and reducing urban sprawl. These features include mixed-use areas that allow transit access at any time of day, well-designed pedestrian crossings, narrow streets, and buildings that gradually become smaller as they move away from public transit hubs. Another key difference is that TOD includes fewer parking spaces for personal vehicles compared to other developments.

Transit-oriented development offers several benefits, including:
– Easy access to public transportation, making it simple to travel without a car.
– Dense areas designed for public transit use, providing access to stores and businesses.
– Better access to jobs and city services.
– More people living near transit stops, like commuter rail stations, which increases overall use of public transportation.

Some people who oppose compact or transit-oriented development argue that many people prefer low-density living and that policies promoting compact development could lead to lower quality of life and higher social costs. Supporters of compact development say that the benefits of such planning are often overlooked and that the preference for low-density living may be influenced by government actions affecting land use.

In cities

Many cities around the world are creating Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policies. Cities like Toronto, Portland, Montreal, San Francisco, and Vancouver, among others, have developed and continue to write policies and plans to reduce car use and increase public transit use.

One of the earliest and most successful examples of TOD is Curitiba, Brazil. Curitiba planned its transportation corridors early in its history. Over time, it combined its zoning rules and transportation planning to build high-density areas near high-capacity transit systems, especially its BRT corridors. After its first city plan failed due to lack of money, Curitiba focused on low-cost infrastructure, such as bus routes with systems that limit access and speeds similar to subways. Curitiba’s success comes from involving the public in planning through education and discussions.

To manage the fast growth of Guatemala City, Mayor Álvaro Arzú created a plan based on transit corridors. The plan, called POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial), allows taller mixed-use buildings near major roads. These buildings become shorter and less dense as they move away from roads. This plan is being used with a bus rapid transit (BRT) system called Transmetro.

Mexico City has worked for years to reduce pollution by encouraging public transit use. Expanding metro lines, including subways and buses, has helped. Inspired by Curitiba, many bus lines now use two lanes on important streets, reserved only for buses. The city also added more bike lanes, even closing roads for biking on certain days.

Car rules in Mexico City have also changed. Older cars are banned from the city, and some cars can only drive on certain days. Electric cars can drive daily and get free parking. These changes have upset many drivers, but the city hopes to encourage more public transit use.

All major Canadian cities have TOD policies. These policies aim to reduce suburban sprawl and increase housing supply during a housing shortage. They also respond to a population shift toward high-density living.

Some cities, like Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver, have long built new communities near transit and plan development with rapid transit at the same time. Others, like Calgary and Montreal, have only recently started using TOD policies. There is debate about whether to build new transit near existing neighborhoods or build new neighborhoods near existing transit.

Calgary’s TOD has focused on stations along its Light Rail Transit (LRT) system, called the CTrain. Though the CTrain has been around since 1981, TOD development has mostly happened since 2010. Most of this development is along the LRT’s Red Line, especially near stations like Brentwood, Dalhousie, and Banff Trail. For example, Brentwood Station has seen nearly 900 residential units built in eight years within 600 meters of the station. Midtown Station is a new project that includes building a station specifically to serve a new development.

For Calgary, TOD is an ongoing process, and the city has created policy guidelines and strategies for implementing TOD.

Until recently, most suburban high-rises in Edmonton were not near major rail lines. Now, there are incentives to build near transit. Century Park is a new condo community near the Edmonton LRT. It will include condos, shops, and a fitness center. Clareview in Edmonton has had a transit-proximate development for years, with a park and ride and low-rise apartments. Edmonton is also planning new TODs in areas like Fort Road, Stadium Station, Glenora, and Strathearn.

The Ion light rail line in Kitchener-Waterloo led to new construction along its route. The first stage of the line created 19,000 new housing units and $5 billion in industrial and commercial developments.

According to a regulation from 2011, 40% of new households will be built as TOD neighborhoods.

Ottawa encourages high-density development within 600 meters of all rapid transit stations, including bus rapid transit and the city’s rail system. The goal is to create mixed-use communities within walking distance of transit. The city also avoids car-focused developments, like parking lots, in these areas.

This has led to many high-rise buildings far from the city center, with neighborhoods forming around stations like Lincoln Fields and Lycée Claudel.

Toronto has long supported new construction along the Yonge Street subway line. Notable developments include the Yonge and Eglinton area in the 1960s and 1970s, and the 2 km stretch north of Sheppard Avenue since the late 1980s. Since 1997, this area has seen a major shopping center and over 20,000 new condo units. After the Sheppard subway opened in 2002, there has been a condo boom along Sheppard Avenue East between Yonge Street and Don Mills Road.

Transit-oriented development is also being prioritized for regional rail stations, such as East Harbour GO.

Vancouver has a strong history of building new developments around its SkyTrain lines and creating town centers at major stations. The Government of British Columbia has also passed laws requiring all development within 800 meters of transit to follow TOD principles.

Impacts

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has been shown to reduce several types of pollution in Los Angeles. Studies show that greenhouse gases, substances that irritate the lungs, and emissions that contribute to smog can be reduced by about 30% in TOD areas compared to areas with lower population density. This happens because people in TOD areas have more travel choices, live closer to places they need to go daily, and live in denser housing that uses less energy per home. In Dhaka, TOD also helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions from travel for work and school trips, as people live closer to these locations. Improved public transportation, walking paths, and bicycle lanes linked to TOD may help reduce emissions in Dhaka and other developing cities. However, in Brisbane, TOD has been found to increase temperatures more than non-TOD areas. This is because TOD areas often have more land that does not absorb water and fewer natural spaces, which must be considered during planning.

TOD near light rail stations in Phoenix has been linked to more new businesses starting within one mile of stations. Businesses in knowledge, service, and retail industries started at rates 88%, 40%, and 24% higher in TOD areas than in other areas. However, fewer manufacturing facilities are found in TOD areas, and similar trends may occur in other U.S. cities. In San Diego, the value of condominiums increases as they get closer to light rail stations, which improves neighborhood walkability and access to services. This suggests that people prefer living in TOD areas, and market-driven development of TOD neighborhoods may be possible in U.S. cities. In well-developed TOD areas, residents often save money despite higher rent costs. In Los Angeles, households save about $3,100 per year on energy and travel expenses.

Studies on the social effects of TOD can be grouped into three areas: behavioral impacts, psychological impacts, and impacts related to gentrification and social inequality.

• Behavioral impacts involve how TOD affects car use and travel habits. A major goal of TOD is to reduce car ownership and reliance on cars. Studies show that people in TOD areas are less likely to own cars. Other research looks at how TOD influences travel habits. While it is common for people in TOD areas to use public transit more, differences in neighborhoods and changes in gentrification make the connection between TOD and public transit use complex.

• Psychological impacts focus on how people feel about their lives and travel. Studies show that people in TOD areas often report higher satisfaction with public transit and overall life quality. While public transit can be less comfortable than driving or walking, well-designed TOD areas may improve travel experiences. People living in TOD areas tend to be more satisfied with public transportation, which can improve their overall happiness.

• Impacts related to social inequality and gentrification involve how TOD changes neighborhoods. TOD often leads to the redevelopment of older urban areas and rising home values, which can push low-income residents out of neighborhoods. This may cause large-scale changes in communities and make TOD areas more expensive. Gentrification linked to TOD has become an important topic in recent transportation research.

Reception

One concern about transit-oriented development is that it may increase housing costs in areas where many people have low incomes. In some situations, TOD can make homes in previously affordable neighborhoods more expensive, forcing low- and moderate-income residents to move farther from jobs and public transportation. This can harm these neighborhoods, as lower-income individuals often rely on public transit more than higher-income individuals.

However, when planned fairly, TOD can help low- and moderate-income communities. It can connect workers to job centers, create jobs in construction and maintenance, and bring investment to areas that have been overlooked or struggling economically. It is also known that rules limiting neighborhood growth, while sometimes helpful for local areas, can lead to fewer homes being built overall, which raises housing costs across a region. TOD helps by increasing the number of homes available, which can lower housing costs and improve fairness in the housing market.

TOD also reduces transportation costs, which is especially important for low- and moderate-income families, as they spend a larger part of their income on transportation compared to higher-income families. This can free up money for other needs like food or education. Many low-income people do not own cars and depend only on public transit to reach work, making reliable access to transportation essential for their ability to earn a living.

History

TOD started in 1993 when Peter Calthorpe published his book The Next American Metropolis. Calthorpe and his team used the ideas from the Garden city movement to create their theory.

A transit city is a type of city planned around public transportation. In these cities, buildings and roads are designed to be close to train stations or tram lines.

The transit city concept began in the industrial world around 1850, after new transportation inventions like steam trains and electric trams were created. These technologies made travel faster, which helped cities grow larger. However, most areas remained within walking or bicycling distance during this time. From 1850 to 1940, transit cities were the most common type of city in industrialized countries. In less-developed regions, mass transit was not widely used, so many cities stayed as walking cities until the 1970s. At that time, these cities changed quickly into automotive cities, where cars became the main way people traveled.