#transit oriented developments

What are TODs? 

Transit Oriented Developments are developments designed to maximize the efficiency of transit stops by increasing the density and attractions within a walkable radius of transit. These developments often feature a transit stop (train, tram, bus, etc.) surrounded by a ¼ to ½ mile circle of dense (often mixed use) commercial, places of employment, and public spaces. Outside of the inner circle, there is also an outer circle of increasingly less dense residential as you move further away from the stop. 

"Transit-Oriented Development at 4th and King Caltrain Station - Mission Bay San Francisco" by neighborhoods.org is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. 

Barriers 

One of the most common barriers for implementing TOD in American cities is the high presence of NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) residents that protest these types of developments. NIMBY’s are often residents that have deeper involvement in the community and shoot down proposals that would bring more housing to their neighborhood. This is the case for many Transit Oriented Developments, as these projects often bring dense, larger scale housing to neighborhoods. In the case of NIMBY’s, the most common form of pushback is that the large scale of development will ruin the “character” of the neighborhood. In many cases, NIMBY’s have lots of pull in terms of influencing city council members and have the power to drastically alter or cancel TOD projects all together.  

However, NIMBYs are only half of the issue when getting TOD projects completed, often car-oriented infrastructure, and the design of US cities poses a massive barrier to TOD projects. The main component of TOD is the transit itself, which it often runs on its own right of way separate from cars. However, cars still too often play a part in terms of TOD projects and can reduce the efficiency of the transit line/housing built. The most obvious impedance is that the majority of residential developments built still must adhere to car-oriented housing and zoning codes. Car centric suburbs continue to be the most prominent and mass-produced style of housing. This lack of density severely limits the effectiveness of public transit, gutting the walkability and bikeability of these neighborhoods and limiting the access to transit stops.  

"An American suburb" by futureatlas.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 

Solutions 

While many of these barriers provide significant challenges for Transit Oriented Developments in the United States, there are ways to successfully get around them, the first being zoning higher density around transit stops. High-density developments around the central transit stop are one of the defining aspects of a successful TOD and are key to making them more accessible to residents in the area. The more people you have living, working, and shopping within walking or biking distance from the stop, means the more people can use it with relative ease. On top of this, using a street layout more conducive to walkability would also decrease the barriers to creating a successful transit-oriented development. By getting rid of the pedestrian-limiting cul-de-sacs in favor of a street network that provides multiple routes & intersections to the transit stop (the gridiron is a good example), we can create a more accessible and efficient TOD area.  

Finally, while working around the NIMBYS is an option in some cases (often with consequences later down the line). These kinds of conflicts are best resolved by working with the community to dispel misconceptions and create a mutually beneficial outcome. By recognizing the community's concerns and creating policies and amenities to meet them (like working to limit gentrification, a common concern), you can often reach a much stronger and more effective resolution to this barrier. 

Example 

A great example of usage of TOD can be found around the subway stations in Paris, France. Built in 1900, the subway provides access to 1.5-2 million jobs by mass rapid public transit within 30 minutes. Paris distributes it’s subway stations in concentric successive circles with the most density accommodated in the first 5-kilometer radius circle. Job densities show a similar density within the first 3 kilometers of the radius and then decline with distance. The stations are also often located near various indoor malls, shopping centers, and tourist attractions which allow for easy access to more than just places of employment. By building the subways in a manner that allows access to so many jobs and other things in France, as well as having the train run so frequently, the Paris subway stations are without a doubt a great example of transit-oriented development.