Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020 - 24

TOD in Action
These prominent transitoriented development (TOD)
projects show what is possible when
engineers and developers work with
municipalities and transit agencies to create compact, mixed-use
projects centered on high-quality transit.

Hudson Yards
New York
Hudson Yards in Manhattan-where the MTA sold development rights at its former train yards in Manhattan for $1
billion to build an entirely new neighborhood on top-has
been called "perhaps the largest TOD project in American
history."
In addition to a new subway line extension underneath
the project, Hudson Yards features parks, a forest of mixeduse high-rises, and the famed beehive-shaped Vessel
landmark.

Journal Square
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is a national leader in TOD, taking advantage of its proximity to New York and high-quality transit
options to reduce citizens' reliance on automobiles and
encourage mixed-use development. Zoning has been key
to promoting TOD in the city; for instance, many projects
are subject to parking maximums but not minimums,
meaning that developers often are not required to create
any parking spots at all.
Journal Square includes a PATH and bus station, and
in 2010 the city adopted the Journal Square 2060 redevelopment plan to foster the development of new housing,
office, commercial, and open public spaces within walking
distance of these facilities. Since then, Journal Square has
seen development including the first tower of a planned 2.3million-square-foot complex called Journal Squared.

The Domain
Austin, Texas
Opened in 2007 and located approximately a mile from the
Kramer Station on the Capital MetroRail commuter line, The
Domain is a high-density office, retail, and residential center
that has been described as "a second downtown" for Austin.
Despite not being built directly next to the train station,
the community is also served by bus lines and has spurred
other nearby TOD projects. For instance, a developer is
moving forward with a mixed-used project at a 66-acre site
adjacent to The Domain, fueled in part by new zoning and a
planned future rail station at the edge of the property.
24

ENGINEERING INC.

WINTER 2020

In 2016, Los Angeles voters approved Measure JJJ, which
requires developers to add affordable housing or else pay a fee.
Measure JJJ also resulted in the Transit Oriented Communities
Affordable Housing Incentive Program, which gives developers
benefits for adding affordable or mixed-income housing to projects within a half-mile of a major transit stop.
According to Farah, millennials in Los Angeles want to live
near their workplace-a marked shift in preference compared
with previous generations.
"Millennials do not want to live in the suburbs," he says.
"They do not want to commute. They want a work place, Starbucks, stores, attraction, gym, entertainment, and other amenities available to them in a walking distance. Not only these
developments are answering their demands, but they are also
revitalizing the community and bring in economic growth."
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGINEERING FIRMS

With the public quickly embracing walkable, transit-oriented
communities-and with private sector developers jumping to
meet the demand for quality urban spaces served by transit
systems-engineering firms have a plethora of opportunities to
work alongside public and private stakeholders to ensure these
projects meet people's needs and integrate seamlessly with surrounding neighborhoods.
Farah and Syska Hennessy assisted from the earliest stages of
development with Metropolis, an in-progress mixed-use megaproject on a 6.33-acre site in downtown Los Angeles, which sits
within walking distance of the Metro Rail. The firm came on
board during the master planning process, helping the development team figure out how to bring utilities to the project site.
"We started with infrastructure, and then engaged in the
building concept design-the mechanical, electrical, and
plumbing," Farah says. "After that, we became more of an owner
advisor and peer reviewer."
Meanwhile, Stantec has assisted with TOD projects in Montreal, Chicago, Boston, and Calgary, among others.
When it comes to TOD and transit design, "Engineers are
often leading the conversation," Sklenar says. Ideally, engineers
would work alongside designers and planners from the very
beginning of TOD or transit corridor projects to ensure that
infrastructure and the design of buildings and communities
complement each other, he adds.
"Optimally, the process would look at the who, the why, the
where, and the how-understanding that a TOD project is
really about the people who are using it and where they want to

"Millennials do not
want to live in the
suburbs. They do not
want to commute."
CHARBEL FARAH
SENIOR PRINCIPAL
SYSKA HENNESSY GROUP
Engineering Inc. - Winter 2020

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