10 Myths and Mistakes o f First Generation TOD p resentation to Prince George’s County Planning Staff Alia Anderson, ULI Washington June 29, 2012

10 Myths and Mistakesof First Generation TOD

presentation to Prince George’s County Planning StaffAlia Anderson, ULI Washington

June 29, 2012

Characteristics:

• Close to high-quality transit• High(er) Density• Mixed-use• Walkable• Less parking

Benefits:

• Reduced transportation costs• Community investment and

revitalization• Improved job access and regional

economic competitiveness• Enhanced community amenities

including retail, services, open space, institutional uses

• Less congestion and improved air quality

• Healthier families with reduced obesity rates

Transit-oriented Development (TOD)

1. Transit-adjacent ≠ Transit-oriented TOD = A walkable neighborhood near transit

• Transit station platforms must be an easy and attractive walk to destinations

• Sidewalks must be wide, well-lighted and landscaped

• Small parks and open spaces throughout

Payoff from TOD

Red

uced

Car

Trip

s

1. Transit-adjacent ≠ Transit-oriented Example: Mockingbird Station, Dallas

• Model TOD has been criticized for lack of strong pedestrian connectivity

Mockingbird Station, Dallas Texas

http://www.dallascityhall.com/forwardDallas/pdf/UrbanDesignElement.pdf

2. Overbuilding Retail

Why is mixed-use fundamental to TOD? Active streetscape Walk to errands, lunch, etc.

But…• Many places can’t support entire ground floor

of retail

• Goal is mixed-use district – not every building has to be vertical mixed-use

• Can activate streetscape in other ways

Siena Park, Arlington

3. Who benefits from TOD?

Many early TOD projects didn’t prioritize affordability

• Low income people spend higher portion of income on housing + transportation

• New development can lead to increased surrounding property values

Solutions Preservation

New Units

3. Who benefits from TOD?Preservation of existing affordable units

• Help maintain district affordability & preserve neighborhood character

• Help bring community on board with TOD

Case Study: LA Housing Dept. TOD Preservation

http://reconnectingamerica.org/assets/PDFs/20120524LAHDTODPreservationFinal.pdf

3. Who benefits from TOD?New Units

• Regulatory strategies or incentives

• Market-affordable projects

• Property Acquisition

Case Study:

Rhode Island Station, Washington, DC

4. Family-oriented TOD Biggest demand for TOD coming from empty nesters and young professionals

Family-friendly TOD can: Create diverse and stable communities around transit Help retain existing residents Improve physical activity and access to opportunity for youth

Strategies:

• Identify which stations are best for family-focused TOD

• Involve students and youth in your planning process

• Create a place for school officials in the planning process

5. NIMBYsCreating YIMBYs takes:

• Long-term commitment • Ex: Great Communities Collaborative

• Early public engagement

• Champions

“Developers worry about the market but fear public process.”

5. NIMBYsWhat we know about champions:

• One Champion must be an influential political official

• Champions need to be able to make the business case

• Projects also need “Technical Champions”

• Project champions need to know, trust and work together

• Champions need to be in it for the long haul

6. Myth: “If you zone it, they will come”• Transit alone is not enough

• Great zoning alone is not enough

• TOD ingredients: Transit Market Infrastructure Zoning

• Might involve saying NO to projects

• Requiring new partnerships• Example: Central Corridor Funders Collaborative

“Is greenfield development still

cheaper and easier than infill and TOD?”

7. Creative parking and TDM• Parking drives the economics and design of a project

A study found that TOD projects in CA provided 37% more parking spaces than needed during peak hours.

“Are TODs Over-Parked?” Cervero et. al. 2011

Strategies:

• Shared parking, Market pricing, Variable pricing, Parking maximums….

• Creative transportation demand management programs:

• Example: Pleasant Hill BART Station Segwey-share

8. Prioritizing TOD efforts• Jurisdictions must have laser focus on priority areas

Case Study: Portland Metro’s TOD Strategic Plan

9. The Role of Transit• Focus is on frequency and reliability of transit, not mode

• Some success with BRT TOD but still limited• Example: Cleveland

• TOD without transit? Walkable Urban Places

$4.3 billion in private investment along

corridor

In the DC region, as walkability features that attract pedestrians increase, so do office, residential, and retail rents, retail revenues, and

for-sale residential values.“Walk this Way: The Economic Promise of Walkable Places in Metropolitan Washington, D.C.” Lineberger

and Alfonzo, 2012

10. Making TOD Unique• Most people think of TOD as….

• TOD should be unique and indigenous

• Historic Preservation is key

• Product depends on the context

• Housing• Office• Retail (big box?)

• Case Study: Englewood, CO

Transit-oriented Development (TOD) 

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