Transit-oriented development

s.

Many of the new towns created after World War II in Japan, Sweden, and France have many of the characteristics of TOD communities. In a sense, nearly all communities built on reclaimed land in the Netherlands or as exurban developments in Denmark have had the local equivalent of TOD principles integrated in their planning.

Transit-oriented development is sometimes distinguished by some planning officials from "transit-proximate development" (see, e.g. comments made during a Congressional hearing [http://edf.org/documents/2698_Testimony03_03.pdf] ) because it contains specific features that are designed to encourage public transport use and differentiate the development from urban sprawl. Examples of these features include mixed-use development that will use transit at all times of day, excellent pedestrian facilities such as high quality pedestrian crossings, narrow streets, and tapering of buildings as they become more distant from the public transport node. Another key feature of transit-oriented development that differentiates it from "transit-proximate development" is reduced amounts of parking for personal vehicles.

TOD in cities

Many cities in the USA and Canada are developing TOD policy. Portland, Denver, San Francisco, and Calgary have developed, and continue to write policies and strategic plans which aim to reduce automobile dependency and increase the use of public transit.

Curitiba

One of the earliest, and most successful examples of TOD is Curitiba, in Brazil. [cite web
url = http://www.ippuc.org.br/pensando_a_cidade/index_zoneamento_ingles.htm
title = Citizine Information, Zoning and Land Use in Curitiba (Ingles)
format = HTML
year = 2006
month = January
accessyear = 2008] Curitiba was organized into transport corridors very early in its history.Over the years, it has integrated its zoning and transportation to place high density development next to high capacity transportation.Since the failure of its first, rather grandiose, city plan due to lack of funding, Curitiba has focused on working with economical forms of infrastructure, so it has arranged unique adaptations, such as bus routes (inexpensive infrastructure) with routing systems, limited access and speeds similar to subway systems.The source of innovation in Curitiba has been a unique form of participatory city planning that emphasizes public education, discussion and agreement.

Toronto

Toronto has a longstanding policy of encouraging new construction along the route of its primary Yonge Street subway line. Most notable are the development of the Yonge and Eglinton area in the 1960s and 1970s; and the present development of the 2 km of the Yonge Street corridor north of Sheppard Avenue, which began in the late 1980s. In the period since 1997 alone the latter stretch has seen the appearance of a major new shopping centre and the building and occupation of over twenty thousand new units of condominium housing.

Calgary

Calgary is home to a very successful TOD community called The Bridges, located in the community of Bridgeland. The Bridges is home to a diverse range of condos, shops, services, and parks. The City continues to create TOD policy for other Calgary communities. Calgary City Council has allocated funding for the creation of six Station Area Plans around the city, to guide increasing development pressure around some of the light rail transit stations. On June 9 2008, Calgary City Council approved the first station area plan in Calgary's history.

ee also

* New Urbanism
* Smart Growth
* Transit-proximate development
* Streetcar suburb
* Principles of Intelligent Urbanism
* Transit village
* Urban consolidation
* Value capture

References

External links

* [http://www.transitorienteddevelopment.org/index.html Transit Oriented Development]
* [http://www.calgary.ca/todplanning Transit Oriented Development in Calgary, Alberta, Canada]
* [http://www.kaleva.fi/plus/index.cfm?j=698874 Transit oriented development growing in USA] (in Finnish)