Can TOD work without transit?

‘TOD’ without the ‘T’

Steve Hawley, Jan 13, 10.

Transit-oriented development (TOD), which consists of high-density, mixed-use buildings near transit stops, can still work even in the absence of transit, according to urban planner Neal I. Payton, writing at Reconnecting America. Payton states that many towns and cities will not receive transit funding for some time, but that they can still move ahead creating high-density, mixed use developments.

Payton says:

The reality is that planning for rail transit in these communities as part of a larger strategy of transit-oriented development makes sense, whether or not the train ever arrives. Such planning ultimately promotes the long-term economic viability and environmental sustainability of these downtowns.

He continues:

Assume that the transit will come – one day – and plan accordingly and appropriately. Such planning becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, not only by creating a more compelling case for transit in the first place, but also by accomplishing many of the other goals associated with TOD, i.e., improving overall mobility, increasing economic vitality and creating a more environmentally sustainable downtown. Not only will such planning include densities appropriate for transit, but it will also provide for rich functional diversity for a compelling and delightful set of public spaces, i.e. the places where we walk and engage in the daily activities of public life, the kind of character one expects in healthy downtowns with or without the T [transit].

Streetsblog Capitol Hill also comments on the piece, noting that various groups “[snapped] up” land near planned transit lines, even though it may be years before any transit construction begins. Streetsblog suggests that the Obama administration might reward those cities that plan for transit-oriented development early on:

A federal system that rewards localities for promoting density even in the absence of transit would provide a powerful incentive to look beyond businesses promising that, say, 1,000 new parking spaces are a prerequisite for job creation.