The secretaries of the US Department of Transportation and HUD have announced their intent to focus efforts on promoting the construction of housing near public transit in order to create more affordable and sustainable communities. Reconnecting America has long encouraged the US DOT and HUD to integrate transportation and land use planning in order to create true affordability and sustainability, based on research showing the impact of transportation on both the cost of living and greenhouse gas emissions.

Robin Kniech, Program Director of FRESC: Good Jobs, Strong Communities in Denver, Colorado, presents on Mass Transit, Transit Oriented Development, and the Opportunity for Community Benefits. The presentation was originally delivered at the February 2009 Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference in Washington, D.C. A similar presentation focused more on tools and best practices related to affordable housing was delivered as part of a panel on Gentrification and Mixed Income Housing moderated by Reconnecting America at the October 2008 Railvolution Conference in San Francisco, and is available upon request. The presentation distinguishes the types of transit and TOD projects where equity and community benefits might be pursued, specific job benefits that can be captured, challenges, and case studies from the Denver experience.