The New Transit Town: Best Practices In Transit-Oriented Development

Transit-oriented development (TOD) seeks to maximize access to mass transit and nonmotorized transportation with centrally located rail or bus stations surrounded by relatively high-density commercial and residential development. New Urbanists and smart growth proponents have embraced the concept and interest in TOD is growing, both in the United States and around the world.

New Transit Town brings together leading experts in planning, transportation, and sustainable design -- including Scott Bernstein, Peter Calthorpe, Jim Daisa, Sharon Feigon, Ellen Greenberg, David Hoyt, Dennis Leach, and Shelley Poticha -- to examine the first generation of TOD projects and derive lessons for the next generation. It offers topic chapters that provide detailed discussion of key issues along with case studies that present an in-depth look at specific projects. Topics examined include:

• the history of projects and the appeal of this form of development
• a taxonomy of TOD projects appropriate for different contexts and scales
• the planning, policy and regulatory framework of "successful" projects
• obstacles to financing and strategies for overcoming those obstacles
• issues surrounding traffic and parking
• the roles of all the actors involved and the resources available to them
• performance measures that can be used to evaluate outcomes

Case Studies include Arlington, Virginia (Roslyn-Ballston corridor); Dallas (Mockingbird Station and Addison Circle); historic transit-oriented neighborhoods in Chicago; Atlanta (Lindbergh Center and BellSouth); San Jose (Ohlone-Chynoweth); and San Diego (Barrio Logan).

New Transit Town explores the key challenges to transit-oriented development, examines the lessons learned from the first generation of projects, and uses a systematic examination and analysis of a broad spectrum of projects to set standards for the next generation. It is a vital new source of information for anyone intersted in urban and regional planning and development, including planners, developers, community groups, transit agency staff, and finance professionals.

Hank Dittmar is president and chief executive officer of Reconnecting America, and former executive director of the Surface Transportation Policy Project.

Gloria Ohland is a professional journalist and senior editor with Reconnecting America; she was formerly Southern California director of the Surface Transportation Policy Project.

Reconnecting America is a national organization that seeks to build connections between and among transporation networks and the regions and communities they serve in order to generate lasting public and private returns, improve economic efficiency, and give consumers greater choice.