Resources

TOD Research
NCTCOG partnered with the University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington) to conduct TOD Research. The final deliverable will produce a report which cities could utilize as a starting point when planning for TOD. The report will provide information on existing small, medium, and large cities in Dallas-Fort Worth as well as cities nationwide that have implemented TOD. Information that will be included in the report will contain different types of TODs (commercial, residential, mixed-use), market analyses, land acquisition, development constraints, zoning changes, site planning, parking needs, design criteria, density recommendations, design, and construction considerations.
Report in progress

Tools for Mixed-Income TOD
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and disseminate examples of tools and strategies from around the country that are being used to create mixed-income and affordable housing near transit. Through this report, we hope to encourage more communities, regional agencies, state and federal government, and developers to adopt and improve upon the successful strategies, and to spur ideas for other tools that do not yet exist.
http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/public/download/tools

Case Studies for Transit-Oriented Development
Date Published: 04/27/2009
Author: Prepared for LISC by Reconnecting America, made possible by a grant from Living Cities
A short summary of the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) tools that are used by communities all across the country. Ten tools have been selected by the Center for Transit Oriented Development and Reconnecting America to represent the best and most relevant ideas for the Phoenix metropolitan areas in promoting TOD.
Download this publication

Effects of TOD on Housing, Parking, and Travel
Date Published: 10/2/2008
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 128: Effects of TOD on Housing, Parking, and Travel explores the demographics of transit-oriented development (TOD) residents and employers, and their motives for locating in TODs. The report also examines the travel characteristics of residence before and after moving to a TOD and ways to increase transit ridership among these residents. In addition, the report reviews the potential effect of land-use and design features on travel patterns, transit ridership, and the decision to locate in a TOD.
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9549

Transit-Oriented Development in the United States: Experiences, Challenges, and Prospects
Date Published: 8/25/2004
TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 102: Transit-Oriented Development in the United States--Experiences, Challenges, and Prospects examines the state of the practice and the benefits of transit-oriented development and joint development throughout the United States.
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=4060

Transit-Oriented Development -- Traveler Response to Transportation System Changes
Date Published: 8/1/2007
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 95: Traveler Response to Transportation System Changes, Chapter 17--Transit-Oriented Development explores the transit-oriented development (TOD) land use strategy and its transportation impacts in terms of regional context, land use mix, and primary transit mode. TOD generally refers to higher-density development, with pedestrian priority, located within easy walking distance of a major public transit station or stop.
This report is part of TCRP’s Traveler Response to Transportation System Changes Handbook series. The overarching objective of the Traveler Response to Transportation System Changes Handbook is to equip members of the transportation profession with a comprehensive, readily accessible, interpretive documentation of results and experience obtained across the United States and elsewhere from (1) different types of transportation system changes and policy actions and (2) alternative land use and site development design approaches.
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7937

The Zoning and Real Estate Implications of Transit-Oriented Development
Date Published: January 1999
This digest contains a report prepared under TCRP Project J-5, Legal Aspects of Transit and Intermodal Transportation Programs, for which the Transportation Research Board is the agency coordinating the research. The report, which has the same title as this digest and is authored by S. Mark White, provides information on legal and other issues associated with transit-oriented development. The report should be useful to transit and development attorneys, financial officials, planners, development officials, and anyone interested in transit- oriented development. It is organized as follows: (1) Introduction; ( 2) Elements of Transit-Oriented Development Policies; (3) Legal Basis for Transit-Oriented Development; (4) Conclusion; Appendix A - Survey Questions; Appendix B - Techniques Used by Survey Respondents to Encourage TOD; and Appendix C - Survey Participants Engaged in Joint Development Projects.
http://www.tcrponline.org/bin/publications.pl?mode=abstract&cat_id=23&pub_id=743

Transit-Oriented Development and Joint development in the United States: A Literature Review
Date Published: October 2002
This digest summarizes the literature review of TCRP Project H-27, "Transit-Oriented Development: State of the Practice and Future Benefits." The digest provides definitions of transit-oriented development (TOD) and transit joint development (TDJ), describes the institutional issues and related to TOD and TJD, and provides examples of the impacts and benefits of TOD and TJD.
http://www.tcrponline.org/bin/publications.pl?mode=abstract&cat_id=23&pub_id=1011

Community Visualization of a Light Rail Transit-Oriented Development
Date Published: April 2004
This report sets forth the principles of a novel visual assessment methodology termed Casewise Visual Evaluation (CAVE), describes its application to this problem and summarizes the results obtained during the IDEA funded research program. In brief, CAVE is a visual assessment methodology designed to allow rapid and accurate gauging of preferences for design elements in composite scenarios.
http://www.tcrponline.org/bin/publications.pl?mode=abstract&cat_id=23&pub_id=1366

Transit-Oriented Development: Developing a Strategy to Measure Success
Date Published: February 2005
This digest offers a strategy to systematically evaluate the potential success of transit-oriented development. The digest identifies and evaluates various indicators of the impacts of transit-oriented development, provides the results of a survey of transit-oriented development indicators, and identifies ten indicators that can be used to systematically monitor and measure impacts.
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rrd_294.pdf

The Density Dilemma: Appeal and Obstacles for Compact and Transit-Oriented Development (Working Paper)
Date Published: September 2005
Accommodating up to 100 million more people in the US over the next several decades in anything other than suburban sprawl requires functional and well-designed development projects that feature greater density. Compact and particularly transit-oriented development has increased in popularity in recent years in some parts of the country, as consumers seek improvements to quality of life such as shorter commutes. But while there is an emerging marketplace for density, it is limited by a number of factors. The appeal of density appears to be concentrated in certain demographic sectors, such as single professionals without children. Successful developments provide access to transit and amenities within walking distance, but also parking, because few residents are willing to part company with their cars. Compact, transit-oriented development tends to be expensive, requiring affirmative programs to include lower-income residents. And even when some consumers prefer density, established neighborhoods resist such projects, concerned about congestion, property values and strains on municipal finances and services, primarily schools, which could lead to higher taxes. An investigation of compact and transit-oriented development in Texas, California, Oregon, Maryland and Massachusetts reveals evolving attitudes about density and the importance of physical design, functionality, community relations and public perception, all of which suggests serious challenges ahead for density in America.
http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/download.asp?doc_id=440&pub_id=1053

Protecting and Preserving Rail Corridors Against Encroachment of Incompatible Uses
Date Published: January 2008
Rail Corridor preservation and planning for the purpose of reducing or restricting incompatible development is an area of growing importance. This report provides an overview regarding encroachment and the elements that contribute to potentially incompatible development along rail corridors. The report reviews the legal tools that currently exist within Texas for corridor preservation and provides recommendations for new legislation, including draft legislation. The report then reviews the state of practice of corridor planning and preservation with mitigation against encroachment both in Texas and in selected other states around the country. The report pays special attention to incidents in which rail corridors are envisioned to host both freight and passenger services and the implications on land use. Finally, the report provides a review of costs associated to deal with encroachment, whether by planning, preservation, collaboration, or mitigation.
http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/0-5546-1.pdf

Transit-Oriented Development Guidebook
Date Published: November 2006
This guidebook is intended to create a shared understanding of what Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is and what its benefits are, in addition to identifying the key elements and factors for success. It will be especially useful for those participating in the creation of, reviewing, or adopting station area plants: City Council members, Planning Commissioners, a wide range of City staff, developers, property owners who own land within a TOD district, and residents who live within and immediately around a TOD district, This guidebook defines TOD and provides a list of guiding principles, identifies the City of Austin's mission and goals with respect to TOD, describes Austin's process for developing a TOD ordinance, provides a summary of the ordinance, outlines the Station Area Planning (SAP) process and SAP elements, and lists several TOD resources.
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/planning/tod/

Impact of Transit-Oriented Development on Public Transportation Ridership
Date Published: August 2005
The purpose of Phase I of this study was to develop a research design to better establish the relationship between transit oriented development (TOD) and travel mode share. The initial hypothesis that good quality transit combined with good quality TOD would succeed in shifting travelers from single-occupant vehicle travel to transit was found to be an oversimplification. Good quality transit service is necessary and good quality TOD is likely helpful and important to shifting mode share but not sufficient. Other necessary factors include supporting elements of the larger urban spatial structure, disincentives to driving alone, favorable marketability of TOD for non-transportation reasons, and incentives to use transit. Research literature suggests that elements of urban form are perhaps not the most important determinants of travel behavior, specifically mode choice, number of trips taken and length of trips. However, urban form does appear to exert some kind of influence, and for that reason, it is worthwhile to further specify the relationship to ascertain how policy initiatives relating to TOD can support the goal to balance mode share in the direction of greater transit use. To better define the elements of TOD that shape travel behavior, this study describes a research design for the development of a panel survey, using recently developed cell phone technology, to track the same individuals and households over time. Using a pre-test post-test design, the survey data collected for a region in Florida would be a sound investment for improved travel forecasting, modeling and other uses.
http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/576-10.pdf

Links:

American Public Transportation Association – Transit Resource Guide - TOD

American Planning Association

Brookings Institute

Center for Transit-Oriented Development

Center for Transportation Research The University of Texas at Austin

Congress for New Urbanism

Envision Utah

International Making Cities Livable

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Local Government Commission

Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Massachusetts Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit

National Center for Transit Research