Episode 62: Transit Oriented Development with Rick Cole (The Congress for the New Urbanism)

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Episode Intro Notes

What We Will Cover

• What is Transit Oriented Development (TOD)?

• What is the history of TOD?

• Why is TOD important?

• How can cities (even car-dominated ones) promote TOD?

• Who are the leaders in the TOD space?

• About our guest, Rick Cole

what is transit oriented development?

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• Transit Oriented Development, also known as TOD, is defined as “the creation of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities centered around high-quality train systems.” This definition comes from the TOD institute, the leading national planning organization working to promote and accelerate the roll-out of walkable, mixed-use communities around rail stations.

  • Compared to today’s current developments that primarily rely on cars, TOD creates walkable communities that greatly reduce the need for driving and energy consumption by emphasizing alternative means of mobility.

  • Our beloved Washington DC and the surrounding area is heralded as one of the best examples of TOD in the US. This is because of the highly diverse mix of uses that surround the region’s Metro stops running through DC, Maryland, and Virginia - covering everything from office, retail, hotel, and residential uses with easy walking distance from station stops.

• The Institute for Transportation & Development Policy goes a step further than TOD Institute’s definition to touch on additional themes beyond just the built environment. It defines TOD as "inclusive access for all to local and citywide opportunities and resources by the most efficient and healthful combination of mobility modes, at the lowest financial and environmental cost, and with the highest resilience to disruptive events.”

• TOD focuses on a variety of components to cultivate vibrant, livable, sustainable communities. A few examples cited from the TOD institute and TOD Best Practices Handbook include:

  • Creating a walkable focused design through non-motorized infrastructure with pedestrians as the highest priority

    • One example is downtown pedestrian malls that don’t allow cars, like the many we’ve seen pop up in the wake of covid as places capitalize on outdoor space.

      • Jay to share story of Parklets in San Francisco

  • Second, highlighting and encouraging sustainable transportation alternatives like light rail systems, trains, high capacity bus lines, and dedicated bike paths.

  • Third, having a train station as a prominent feature of the town center.

    • An example is Union Station in Denver, Colorado, which itself has been retrofitted with many cool bars and eateries but also is located at the convergence of Lower Downtown, Denver’s increasingly expansive light rail lines, and city-wide bus routes.

  • A fourth example is ensuring liveable, beautified, and high-density living spaces with the integration of green spaces

    • Check out Episode 51 on Urban Greening for more on green spaces in urban areas.

• Generally speaking, the demand for walkable and sustainable communities is on the rise.

  • Half of the respondents to an Urban Land Institute survey in 2015 said that walkability is either the top priority or a high priority when deciding where they want to live. 52% of the respondents said they want to live where they don’t need to use a car so often. 

• It’s no surprise that the unique developmental components of TOD provide many benefits to local communities and present a viable solution to mitigating cities’ impact on climate change, which we will dive into later in the episode.

what is the history of tod?

• The idea of having a transportation-oriented city is nothing new, of course, as the introduction of transportation was a key catalyst in the industrial revolution here in the US. Some may even say TOD is the modern branding of an old concept.

  • To paint a picture to all you listeners, before 1916, the U.S. was the world’s leader in transit rail miles, streetcar ridership, and almost every other transit metric with 254,000 miles of railway track covering the country. In 1890, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia each had 2-3 times more per capita transit trips than London.

  • Suburbs were once connected via streetcars through a system conversely called “Development Oriented Transit”, where private developers built transit to benefit their developments rather than centering developments around transit systems. Streetcar stops were accompanied by small clusters of shops and were a clear precursor to modern-day transit oriented development.

• However, the invention of the automobile in the early 1900s was the start of the deteriorating relationship between housing, jobs, and transit. Specifically, after major disinvestment in public transit during the depression and WW2 in 1945, and with the development of the Eisenhower Interstate System in 1956, automobiles became the most popular use of transportation with the number of cars per capita doubling in the U.S. by 1950 as compared to 1925.

• Even with the implementation of transit within developments not being a new strategy here in the US, the battle of integrating this development in a contrasting car-oriented society is a relatively new obstacle we face. 

• Today’s idea of Transit Oriented Development was mainly developed in the 1990s by Peter Calthorpe, a prominent urban planner and architect we’ll reference later in the show. The concept has since gained steam and found itself in today’s policy developments at the federal and state level, starting in 2009 when the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formed a Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

  • At the state level, according to a 2012 report, statutes in at least 22 states support TOD in some manner, whether that be having bus rapid transit systems or new, intensive TOD buildout. 

why is tod important?

• Access to sustainable transportation options, increasing walkability within neighborhoods, and minimizing urban sprawl can have an enormous impact on a city’s ability to fight climate change as well as cultivating higher standards of well-being. 

• Although the list could go on, the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD) highlights 4 distinct benefits of TOD, including: 1) reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 2) strengthening the regional economy, 3) increasing inclusive job access, and 4) helping make the most out of public investments. Let’s break these down.

  • 1) Reducing overall GHG emissions for cities and individuals: When it comes to reducing GHG emissions, by concentrating jobs, services, and housing within accessible transit nearby, people don’t have to rely on using a car to get around. ​

    • Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor of U.S. GHG emissions. 

    • Interestingly, a 2021 study in Indonesia centering on urbanization and economic growth found that the overall impact of GHG can be reduced by 36%, respiratory impacts by 8%, and smog by 25% through the proper planning of transportation and buildings.

  • 2) Strengthening the regional economy: The nonprofit organization CEOs for Cities estimates that the 2 million people who live in the Portland, Oregon, region save a total of $1.1 billion (or roughly $550 per person) a year by commuting 4 fewer miles per day than the national average of 24.3 miles. 

    • The money saved by not having a car or spending money on gas can be spent in restaurants, local businesses, or other purchases that have a multiplier effect on the local economy.

  • 3) Increasing inclusive job access: TOD has the opportunity to increase access for all kinds of jobs. According to CTOD demand estimates, more than 40 percent of future demand for housing near transit will come from households earning less than 80 percent of area median income. 

    • CTOD suggests that TOD can prevent gentrification by prioritizing moderate and low-income families in their accessible housing and job accessibility plans to create an inclusive community for everyone.

  • 4) Helping make the most out of public investments:

    • Successful TOD leads to higher transit ridership, which means more revenue from fares. TOD also supports more walk-and-ride transit trips, which can be cheaper for transit agencies over time than building, maintaining and operating parking. 

how can cities (even car-dominated ones) promote tod?

• The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of the world's megacities committed to addressing climate change, introduced a plan in 2019 to help cities implement transit-oriented development at the local level. Within their plan, they highlight several steps a city can take to integrate TOD successfully. Let’s dive into 4 of their recommendations and how cities have used these recommendations to implement TOD.

  • 1) Establish a long-term, city-owned, and city-wide vision for TOD

    • By adding TOD language and policy recommendations within a city's comprehensive urban development plans and inviting widespread participation in TOD’s progress, TOD may be more likely to gain traction and support. 

      • In Portland, Oregon’s “Portland Plan”, their strategic proposal towards a prosperous, educated, healthy, and equitable city, citizen participation was key. Consultations attracted more than 20,000 comments and ideas from citizens that helped city officials form educated policy recommendations that reflected the needs of community members.

  • 2) Measure access to transit and consider setting city targets. Setting TOD-focused targets can send a clear signal to citizens and developers about the importance of sustainable urban design as well as keep local governments accountable for their promises. 

    • TOD-focused targets can either be represented as 1) a percentage of new development within a certain radius of transit stations, 2) a percentage of the population living in TOD zones, or 3) a percentage of the population with access to public transport.

      • New York City (NYC), for example, aims for 95% of new housing to be built within half a mile of mass transit locations as a part of their PlaNYC sustainability plan.

      • Additionally, Los Angeles has solidified incremental TOD targets within their sustainability pLAn. By 2025, LA aims to have 57% of all new housing units be developed within 1,500 feet of transit and 75% by 2035.

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  • 3) Identify where to apply TOD and the appropriate density and development mix. It's important to note that TOD cannot be applied everywhere and anywhere. The densities of jobs and residents vary across the US and globe, so finding target areas where TOD can thrive is crucial.

    • C40 highlights the World Bank's Three Values (3V) TOD guide as a helpful outline for identifying appropriate target locations. These 3 values include:

      • 1) Node value (the current passenger traffic and transportation use)

      • 2) Place value (the quality and attractiveness of the area around the station) and 

      • 3) Market potential value (financial value of space that could be developed in a target location)

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  • 4) Update regulations to align land use and planning regulations with transit strategies. Collaboration between transportation and planning departments is crucial when creating a successful TOD strategy.

    • In order to make TOD possible, C40 highlights 2 different core land use and planning regulation updates, such as: 

    • 1) Upzoning, also known as rezoning, for denser development. It helps by lifting common restrictions on land use so that more modest, affordable choices are allowed

      • A great example of successful upzoning is when Minneapolis became the first major American city to eliminate single-family zoning (a land use law that allows for the development of single family homes often associated with urban sprawl) in 2018.

    • 2) Shift to mixed-use zoning in the area near transit hubs, which allows for a complementary mix of residential, commercial, and/or industrial uses in a single district.

  • Together, these zoning tactics can help align land use and planning regulations with TOD strategies.

who are the leaders in the tod space?

• When it comes to leaders in TOD expansion, many cities, developers, and design firms have taken the lead.

• First, we’ll recall the several organizations we’ve already mentioned in this space - the Urban Land Institute, C40, and CTOD.

• One example of a city that has gone above and beyond to successfully integrate TOD would be Portland, Oregon. 

  • By 2040, Portland plans for 40% of households and nearly 70% of jobs to be located in or near centers or corridors served by public transport. The World Wildlife Fund reported that Portland’s residents are twice as likely to use public transport for work commuting, travel 20% less distance per day, and are 7 times more likely to bicycle to work, than the average US city dweller thanks to Portland’s TOD-intentional projects and activities.

• Denver, Colorado is another city that has been a longtime leader in TOD. 

  • Since 2005, 68 percent of all new offices and 44 percent of all new housing in Metro Denver has been located within one half-mile of a Regional Transportation District (RTD) station. 

    • But it’s not all positive news in Denver. According to a blog post from Naomi Amaha of The Denver Foundation, nearly 3 out of 4 Denverites still drive alone to work, and Denver has one of the highest single occupancy vehicle (SOV) commute rates in the nation (73%). 

• Many developers and design firms also have made their mark on the TOD world. 

  • Any urban planner will know the names of Peter Calthorpe and Andres Duanny, two famous architects that help popularize facets of TOD via the Congress for the New Urbanism, a well-known nonprofit organization who’s mission is to champion walkable urbanism. More on that in approximately 15 seconds.

  • One interesting development to watch is Culdesac, the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the US that plans to open to the public in 2022 in Tempe, AZ. 

    • Culdesac aims to build 761 apartment-style buildings that also include a neighborhood grocery store, coffee shop, courtyard grills, and several restaurants within walking distance. 

    • Though it’s located in a car-dominated city, Culdesac aims to create enough gravitation pull to allow residents to accomplish all their basic needs without cars.

about our guest, rick cole

• Rick Cole is the Executive Director of the Congress for the New Urbanism, an organization that provides resources, education, and technical assistance to create socially just, economically robust, environmentally resilient, and people centered places.

• He has been recognized as one of “America’s Public Officials of the Year” by Governing Magazine and one of the “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers” by Government Technology Magazine. He has won awards for municipal management excellence from the American Society of Public Administrators and the Municipal Management Association of Southern California. The Los Angeles Times called him “one of Southern California’s most visionary planning thinkers.