Measuring Urbanity One Block at a Time: The Neighborhood Transit Readiness Scorecard
July 1, 2011|Carolina Planning Journal, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
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This paper outlines a methodology that assesses urbanity in three dimensions (density, diversity, and design) and creates a combined scorecard that weights each dimension according to its influence on transit usage and walkability. Using no proprietary methods, this approach can be repeated by any individual or local government with GIS software and basic internet access. The resulting measurements can be used by communities to assess what types of investments and regulatory changes are necessary to create more transit and pedestrian-friendly communities.
Rails to Real Estate: Development Patterns Along Three New Transit Lines
March 21, 2011|Center for Transit-Oriented Development
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Executive Summary
This report documents real estate development patterns along three recently constructed light rail transit lines in the United States. This topic is important for local planning practitioners, transit agencies, community members and other stakeholders in their efforts to plan for new transit investments and foster transit-oriented development (TOD). Setting realistic expectations about the scale, timing and location of private investment along new transit lines is especially critical where new development is expected to help pay for needed transit improvements, neighborhood amenities, or other community benefits.
The three transit lines examined in this report are the Hiawatha Line in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, the Southeast Corridor in the Denver region, and the Blue Line in the Charlotte region. The report examines residential and commercial development that occurred within a half-mile of stations along the three lines. Development is evaluated in the…
How Pedestrian-Friendly and Transit-Friendly is Your Neighborhood? The Neighborhood Transit Readiness Scorecard
September 29, 2010|NC American Planning Association Conference Presentation
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This presentation goes as follows:
Should you really stick around for the rest of this session?
What do we mean when we say “urban”?
Influence of the“3 D’s”(Density, Diversity, Design) on transit usage and walking propensity
Measuring the 3 D’s: How we did it & Results
Using the Results in Community Decision-making
Measuring the 3 D’s: How you can do it
What do we mean when we say “urban”?
Influence of the“3 D’s”(Density, Diversity, Design) on transit usage and walking propensity
Measuring the 3 D’s: How we did it & Results
Using the Results in Community Decision-making
Measuring the 3 D’s: How you can do it
Case Studies on Transit and Livable Communities in Rural and Small Town America
March 18, 2010
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Livability in Small Towns and Rural Areas
What does “livability” mean in a smaller town or city? Some would have us believe that livability is a foreign concept for our small towns and rural areas. The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth.
This collection of 12 case studies provides examples of how small cities, towns and rural regions across the country are transforming themselves into more livable communities. While some of these communities face formidable threats – from job losses and shrinking populations to disappearing farmland and strained resources – their leaders have forged collaborations and created plans that are growing economies, bene.ting people and protecting the land and lifestyles treasured by residents and non-residents alike.
The exact de.nition may di.er place to place, but these case studies reveal some core values and needs that exist in these communities across America. It is about providing people, including seniors and those who cannot…
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…
Charlotte Streetcar Economic Development Study
April 1, 2009|City of Charlotte
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This Study presents an economic evaluation of the proposed Charlotte Streetcar, which would run on an approximately 10 mile corridor along Beatties Ford Road from Interstate-85 through Downtown and out along Elizabeth Avenue and Central Avenue to Eastland Mall. The central question addressed by this Study is how much funding could be anticipated from property-value based mechanisms, and what does this amount of potential funding mean for the feasibility of the proposed Charlotte Streetcar. The Study was prepared by BAE, a national urban economics and development advisory firm with expertise in transit-oriented development, in collaboration with Charlotte-based real estate firms Warren & Associates and Integra Realty Resources.
National Award For Smart Growth Achievement
January 1, 2009|EPA Development, Community and Environment Division
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Honorees represent the best in smart growth development in 2009
Charlotte’s Rapid Transit System: Leveraging Public Investment To Transform Land Use
October 1, 2008
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Indirect Investment
North Corridor Commuter
Tax Increment Financing
Direct Investment
LYNX Blue Line
Providing land
Providing transit station & infrastructure
Construction of major amenity
Adopted by Council in 1994 to address accelerating growth
Five primary transportation and development corridors
Goals:
Focus growth
Maximize use of public transportation
Encourage redevelopment & reuse of underutilized sites
Charlotte Urban Street Design Guidelines
January 1, 2007|Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission
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T he Urban Street Design Guidelines described in this document present a comprehensive approach to designing new and modifi ed streets within Charlotte’s designated Sphere of Influence. The Guidelines will allow us to provide better streets throughout Charlotte – streets that refl ect the best aspects of the streets built in the past, and that will provide more capacity and safe and comfortable travel for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders.
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.
