Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020 - 23

EXAMINING THE FAST-GROWING PRIVATE DEVELOPER-DRIVEN MARKET OF

VIBRANT, LIVABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

ook at some of the most exciting recent large
development projects around the country, and
you will see that many of them have something in
common: They are built around transit stations,
which serve as a hub to connect residents, workers,
and visitors to the surrounding area-and help to
ensure that people, rather than vehicles, are the
focal point of communities.
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is far
from a new phenomenon, but it is an increasingly
popular design trend as the country becomes more
urbanized. Furthermore, individuals and communities are recognizing the value of dense, mixed-use, walkable
areas that buzz with activity nearly around the clock.
"A lot of places have historically not used their transit centers
as a real hub for redevelopment," says Peter Kasabach, executive
director of New Jersey Future, a smart growth policy and advocacy organization that has pushed for TOD in the
state for years. "That
has been the drive for
TOD-how do you
take these centers
and create a much
more intense development environment around them? That
typically means more infrastructure, bigger
buildings, and a greater mix of uses.
"It is a traditional downtown
development feel, with open
spaces, public spaces, retail, residential, office space, all of these
things," Kasabach adds. "You are
weaving these things together by
making the community as pedestrian- and bike-friendly as
possible, and making cars secondary."

sit station, according to Kasabach. Also he notes, although the
"transit" typically refers to train service, developments can also be
built around bus terminals or even ferry terminals. In addition to
serving the residents who live in or adjacent to them, TOD communities can serve as "regional collectors" that people use as hubs
to connect to other areas served by the transit service.
Craig Sklenar, senior urban designer for Stantec's Urban
Places Group, says that the defining characteristic of a TOD
community is its organic feel.
"You are able to make decisions once you arrive at a station," he
says. "'Do I need to catch a cab? Transfer to a bus? Can I take a
bike home from here? Do I need to pick anything up before heading home?' A well designed TOD allows you to organically make
those decisions in an urban context rather than have to navigate
through car-oriented spaces like crossing a large parking lot, or
over a long pedestrian bridge across a busy highway to get to the
next place. It just feels seamless to the urban experience."
WHY IS TOD TRENDING NOW?

According to FTA, the benefits of TOD include increased ridership for transit systems, revitalization
of neighborhoods, increased affordable
housing, economic gains for surrounding landowners and businesses, improved
safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and
congestion relief as well as associated environmental benefits and community revitalization.
Charbel Farah, senior principal at Syska Hennessy Group, has
worked on a number of TOD projects in the Los Angeles
area, and he points to both regulatory changes and generational shifts as drivers of transit-focused projects.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) defines TOD simply as development that "includes a mix of commercial, residential, office, and entertainment centered on or located near a
transit station."
But how to make TOD a success? The FTA says, "Successful
TOD depends on access and density around the transit station.
Convenient access to transit fosters development, while density
encourages people to use the transit system."
Generally, TOD projects occur within half a mile of a tran-

STANTEC

WHAT IS TOD?

Riverside TOD is a new community situated on an existing park-n-ride facility in
Newton, Massachusetts. This new community prioritizes "life in the streets" as its
organizing theme, centered around public transportation and mixed-use buildings.

WINTER 2020

ENGINEERING INC.

Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020

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