Wiki Wednesday: Transit-Oriented Development
Streetcar-served TOD in Dallas, TXIf the United States is in fact on the verge of a transit renaissance, transit-oriented development will have to be part of the mix. In this week's StreetsWiki entry, slinkp writes:
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) grew popular in the 1980s and1990s as a response to suburban sprawl and a means of regeneratingeconomic growth in central cities. Thedevelopment is likely to include housing and/or offices as well asretail stores. A TOD also usually has relatively easy access for peopleon foot and bikes, while cars and other vehicles are discouraged fromparking too close to the station. As a result, TODs are oftenfriendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists than other forms of landdevelopment, and they encourage people to ride trains and buses ratherthan drive. The concept was slow to take off in the United States, buthas gained strength in the first decade of the 21st century as fuelcosts rise and traffic causes many Americans to rethink where they wantto live and work.
Despite evidence that "drive 'til you qualify" sprawl presents an unsustainable drain on financial and natural resources, planners have been reluctant to abandon it. Even in relatively transit-rich metro NYC, TOD has been slow to catch on beyond the realm of private-sector advocacy, though recent remarks indicate the concept is at least on the radar of state-level officials in Connecticut and New York.
Photo: RACTOD/Flickr
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
‘We Don’t Need These Highways’: Author Megan Kimble on Texas’ Ongoing Freeway Fights
...and what they have to teach other communities across America.
Should Wednesday’s Headlines 86 SUVs?
American tax law encourages people to buy the gas-guzzling and deadly vehicles, but some in Canada are pushing to ban them.
Brightline West Breaks Ground on Vegas to SoCal High-Speed Rail
Brightline West will be a 218-mile 186-mile-per-hour rail line from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga — about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. — expected to open in 2028.
Tuesday’s Headlines Fix It First
How voters incentivize politicians to ignore infrastructure upkeep. Plus, are hydrogen trains the future of rail or a shiny distraction?
Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police
Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?
