Overlooked Density: Rethinking Transportation Options in Suburbia
April 2, 2010
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Executive Summary
Suburban multifamily housing is an often overlooked housing typology that is the fastest growing housing market in the country and holds strong potential for achieving smart growth goals in suburbia. This housing type is ubiquitous throughout all regions in the nation, is a widespread example of density in suburbia, and is typically located next to commercial uses. The proximity between suburban multifamily housing and commercial uses creates the potential for nodes of concentrated activity, mixed use, and the possibility of substantial non-auto transport in suburbia. While this potential exists, the design of this housing type often follows an enclaved pattern of development, negating any synergy, minimizing the possibility of non-auto transport, and denying any potential for sustainable development.
Through case studies of suburban multifamily development in Oregon, Arizona, Florida, and Massachusetts, this report looks at the specific ways in which regulation,…
Preserving Affordability and Access in Livable Communities: Subsidized Housing Opportunities Near Transit and the 50+ Population
September 30, 2009
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Executive Summary
INTRODUCTION
A livable community has affordable and appropriate housing, supportive features and services, and adequate mobility options for people, regardless of age or ability. As communities address the general shortage of affordable housing, preserving affordable housing in transit-oriented developments (TODs) is one of the challenges that communities can address to increase their livability.
TODs are compact, walkable, mixed-use communities that are developed around high-quality public transportation. Residents often prize these places for the advantages created by the proximity to transportation and other amenities. One consequence of this desirability is that it can increase land and property values, exacerbating housing affordability challenges.
As policymakers try to extend the benefits of TODs to affordable housing locations, they must ensure that those benefits are available to people of low and moderate incomes and to those with different mobility…
Traffic Generated by Mixed-Use Developments – A Six- Region Study Using Consistent Built Environmental Measures
January 1, 2009|EPA Development, Community and Environment Division
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The purpose of this study was to develop new methodology for more accurately predicting the traffic impacts of mixed-use developments
Preserving Opportunities: Saving Affordable Homes Near Transit
January 1, 2008|National Housing Trust, Reconnecting America
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Study examines federally assisted affordable housing located in close proximity to public transportation in 8 cities (2008)
TOD Case Studies: Implementation In Low- Income, Ethnically Diverse Neighborhoods
August 19, 2007|Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative and the Surdna Foundation
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These case studies, funded through the support of the Surdna Foundation, present transit-oriented development (TOD) examples from diverse, low-income neighborhoods around transit, all built within the last 10 years. The goal of this survey is to provide examples that can help spur development around Philadelphia’s underutilized transit resources in similar types of neighborhoods. To that end, the examples in these case studies all overcame barriers to implementation using innovative, but replicable approaches. These examples are intended to allow the Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative and others to advocate for more involvement by the public sector, test some of the same mechanisms for financing and land assembly, and provide examples of successful TOD to developers and community members.
Realizing The Potential: Expanding Housing Opportunities Near Transit
January 1, 2007|Federal Transit Administration
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The FTA and HUD funded this report to examine the effectiveness of regional strategies to ensure there is mixed-income housing near transit. Advancing the state of the practice of linking mixed-income housing to transit investments requires greater creativity and commitment by all levels of government. This report examines five case study regions: Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon. Given the growing demand for housing near transit and limited number of developable sites, the report finds that cities and regions need to be proactive in order to accommodate income diversity in TOD.
Building the Line to Equity: Six Steps for Achieving Equitable Transit Oriented Development in Massachusetts
August 22, 2006|PolicyLink
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Executive Summary
Transit oriented development is a dynamic approach to building pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use communities around transit stations and connecting neighborhoods to their regions. The opportunities of transit oriented development can benefit everyone, if planned with that intention. With a concerted effort, these developments can secure affordable housing for all income ranges, ensure improved environmental quality, and link people and their neighborhoods to economic growth throughout the region. Equitable transit oriented development can ensure that the Commonwealth maintains its status as one of the world's premiere destinations to live, work, and play. Conversely, continuing development that provides primarily high-cost housing and long commutes threatens that status.
Action for Regional Equity (Action!), a coalition of the state's leading housing, transportation, and environmental advocates, has developed six steps to guide transit oriented development in the…
Transit Oriented Development Infrastructure and Housing Support Program Guidelines
July 1, 2006|Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation, Office for Commonwealth Development and the Department of Housing and Community Development
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I. Overview and Purpose
These guidelines provide criteria and guidance for applying for funding under the Transit-Oriented Development Infrastructure and Housing Support Program (“TOD Bond Program”) promulgated by 701 CMR 6.00. The Executive Office of Transportation (EOT), in consultation with the Office for Commonwealth Development (OCD) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), will administer this program.
The objective of TOD Bond Program is to increase the supply of compact, mixed-use, walkable development close to transit stations. To accomplish this objective, the program provides financing for pedestrian improvements, bicycle facilities, housing projects, and parking facilities within .25 (1/4) miles of a commuter rail station, subway station, bus station, bus rapid transit station, or ferry terminal.
The TOD Bond Program is part of an integrated, multi-agency strategy to promote Smart Growth in the Commonwealth. Smart Growth is about growing…
Commuter Rail and Land Use: A Network-Based Analysis
May 25, 2006
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Executive Summary
Transportation and land use have long been understood to have impacts on one another. One common justification for transportation investments, particularly public transit investments, is that the transportation improvement will change land use patterns in societally beneficial ways. Even if it is not the stated goal, one would expect that an effective transportation investment would change development patterns from the course that they would otherwise take – a fact grounded on both theoretical and historical literature. Using geographic information systems, remote sensing, and census data, land use change can be quantified, so that it can be compared between different geographic areas. These areas have been defined using network analyses to determine time-based distance, since most people access commuter rail stations by driving to them. This study examines the impact that commuter rail has had on land use patterns in the Boston metropolitan area, and sets up a…
On the Right Track: Meeting Greater Boston's Transit and Land Use Challenges
May 1, 2006|Urban Land Institute Boston District Council
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Reviews Boston's transportation financial sustainability and makes recommendations for planning future expansion of service. That is why a report on transit investment begins by looking at issues of land use, housing production and economic development. ULI Boston is not advocating for transit for the sake of transit. Instead, this report views the MBTA transit system as a regional asset and critical piece of economic development infrastructure that anchors regional efforts to increase housing production, create jobs, grow smart and embrace diversity and inclusion.
