Transit-Oriented Development

A transit-oriented development (TOD) is a residential, commercial or mixed-use development project, made up of one or more buildings, that has been designed to take advantage of nearby transit and includes features that encourage walking, biking and transit ridership. A TOD project is characterized by:

Compact, traditional building and site design

• Buildings are located close together and face wide sidewalks.
• Building entrances are oriented towards transit stops.
• Buildings are normally three stories or higher.
• No blank walls where pedestrians walk.
• At street level, walls are at least
  75 percent windows and doorways.
• Short block lengths are preferred.
  Mid-block pedestrian cut-throughs are provided on long blocks. Parking lots are located to the rear and sides of buildings.

A high quality walking and biking environment

• Ease of walking or biking to the transit station is a top priority.
• Pathways are clear and direct with no barriers.
• Sidewalks are wide, crosswalks are well-marked and lighting and landscaping are ample.
• Covered bicycle parking is available.

A mix of transit-supportive uses

• The project includes a complementary mix of uses including housing, offices, shops, markets, hotels, restaurants, salons, services, coffee shops and boutiques.
• The mix can be in the same building or within the same neighborhood.
• A desirable combination consists of retail on the first floor and residential use of the upper floors.
• A wide variety of housing types is available to a range of ages and incomes.
• Immediately adjacent to the transit station, shops are open until 8 p.m. or later.
• Auto-dependent uses such as gas stations, tire and automotive service shops, big appliance stores, motels and big box stores are inappropriate.

Attention to place making and the pedestrian realm

• The transit station is the prominent feature of the town center.
• Small parks or plazas are created near the transit station.
• Comfortable and safe places to sit are provided near building entrances.
• Cues regarding orientation are conveniently located.
• Landmarks that help to identify a place or provide orientation are preserved.
• Street fairs and community celebrations make streets vibrant.

Tallest buildings are located closest to transit station

• Highest density uses are clustered immediately around the transit station.
• The transition between higher- and lower-density neighborhoods is managed by stepping down building heights.

Transit-supportive parking

• Parking lots are located to the rear and sides of buildings.
• Parking space requirements become lower the closer you are to transit.
• Parking decks should be "wrapped" or otherwise hidden. First floors should be retail whenever possible.
• Parking should be carefully located, designed and managed.