This report contends that creating and preserving diverse transit-oriented neighborhoods is sound public policy that would favorably impact households and regions on multiple fronts, resulting in: a broader range of housing opportunities, greater transportation choice, better environmental outcomes and stronger family and neighborhood economies. There is no single silver bullet for creating and preserving such neighborhoods, however. Promoting and preserving diverse transit oriented neighborhoods requires policies that address housing, land use and transportation, experienced practitioners in several sectors, tools geared to promote transportation-oriented development (TOD )and affordability, and flexible financing.

A guide to reduce flooding in Riverdale, IL in a way that strengthens neighborhoods and businesses, and brings new life to vacant areas of town. A RainReady Riverdale would be a community where all residents and businesses benefit from flood relief in a way that also brings neighborhood beautification, retail activity, jobs, recreation, and habitat conservation. In this community, public investment is transparent and fair.

Planning policies aimed at reducing vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) combined with growing consumer demand for walkable, transit-rich neighborhoods have led to increased development interest in location-efficient neighborhood - i.e., those places associated with the lowest transportation costs. Location-efficient places are characterized by high levels of accessibility to jobs and services that enable residents to drive less either by making shorter trips or by shifting trips to transit, walking, and bicycling.

Discussion of housing affordability usually revolves around home prices alone, failing to account for the varying costs of transportation in different locations. Although frequently overlooked, research has shown that these costs typically represent a household’s second largest expenditure, in some cases consuming as much as 30% of household income. The lack of clear information about the true costs and tradeoffs associated with housing location motivates inefficient development decisions and has helped spur the “drive ’til you qualify” phenomenon, which describes the movement of households away from the city center in search of lower cost housing. In the last several years, the dramatic increase in foreclosure rates, often concentrated in remote exurbs, and the equally dramatic spike in gasoline prices around the country have revealed the vulnerability of households that choose locations based on an incomplete and often misleading understanding of the true costs.

Initiative Ordinance JJJ (Measure JJJ) is a ballot initiative with two provisions intended to increase the production of affordable housing in the City of Los Angeles: the “Transit-Oriented Communities Affordable Housing Overlay” provision which would allow housing developers to build more densely near major transit stops in return for including minimum percentages of affordable units in those developments and the “Value Capture” provision which would apply similar affordability standards to all new residential developments with 10 or more units that are granted certain city zoning entitlements allowing them to build more densely. This report outlines the potential effects of Measure JJJ on access to affordable housing and assess the potential health impacts of the initiative.

This study compares the performance of residential and commercial property sales near fixed-guideway stations with areas without public transit access between 2012 and 2016 in seven regions: Boston; Eugene, Oregon; Hartford, Connecticut; Los Angeles; Minneapolis–St. Paul; Phoenix; and Seattle. Results show that in the seven regions analyzed, residential properties in proximity to public transit performed better than properties farther from public transit, generating higher property values. Additionally, people living near fixed-guideway public transportation have lower annual transportation costs and have access to a greater number of jobs within a 30-minute commute, along with connections to more destinations. This report supports the further expansion of public transit services, along with appropriate land use policies, as a means of propelling development and housing opportunities.

As the Puget Sound region invests billions in a new light rail system, large scale gentrification will occur along the Southeast Seattle light rail corridor without immediate policy action. Transit-oriented development (TOD) planning must implement a racial justice framework in order to tackle the threat of displacement by addressing the structural challenges that place low-income people and communities of color at higher risk of being forced out of their communities. This report critiques existing TOD tools that fall short of racial equity, and provides recommendations for Rainier Valley stakeholders that put racial justice at the center of TOD planning.

This report provides analysis of Amtrak's Downeaster rail line, finding that the current level of service is generating increased usage and economic benefits. With further service and connectivity improvements the Downeaster and connected railroads could provide the basic infrastructure for extensive transit oriented development (TOD). A TOD is a compact and integrated development of homes, retail, and service businesses, public park space and other amenities that create an inviting atmosphere for pedestrians in the area that surrounds a public transit station.

Cargo-oriented development (COD) may be defined as the development of places that are both multi-modal nodes of freight transportation and centers of employment in logistics and manufacturing businesses. When high quality transit service is nearby, employers have access to a broader workforce and the site has potential for supportive retail, office and housing, known as transit-oriented development (TOD). Case studies of civic and economic development organizations and local governments collaborating with private freight companies to realize the potential of COD for sustainable development. Case studies reveal the COD collaborations improving both the economies and the quality of life in regions and in established communities.

Report examining the greenhouse gas reduction potential of transit oriented development (TOD). This report calculates potential reductions in carbon emissions associated with household vehicle travel and offers growth strategies for planners attending to urban form and access to transit (fixed rail) and reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Transit-oriented development-- a mix of residential and commercial development within walking distance of public transportation --can play a substantial part in reducing greenhouse gas emissionsThis study shows that in the Chicago Metropolitan Region, households in neighborhoods within a half mile of public transportation have 43 percent lower transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from auto use than households living in the average location in the Chicago Metropolitan Region. Households living in a downtown – which typically have the highest concentration of transit, jobs, housing, shopping and other destinations – have 78 percent lower emissions. While this study focuses on the Chicago Metropolitan Area, similar household behavior is observed in other metropolitan area, and is predicted to result in similar reductions.