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• 1. [Article] Transit Planning Practice in the Age of Transit-Oriented Development

  Transit serves as backbone infrastructure for many regional and local visions for sustainable urban development. Also, many modern policies predicate transit funding on the potential for transit-oriented ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Transit Planning Practice in the Age of Transit-Oriented Development Author: Carlton, Ian Year: 2014 Transit serves as backbone infrastructure for many regional and local visions for sustainable urban development. Also, many modern policies predicate transit funding on the potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) near proposed infrastructure investments. However, little research has examined how TOD considerations have informed transit planning. This presentation discusses the results of recent dissertation research that fills this gap. Through multiple transit project case studies and interviews with nearly 100 transit planning professionals, this research categorized how transit projects across 19 U.S. regions were designed to foster TOD and how transit planning professionals identified TOD opportunities as projects were planned. During interviews, many professionals lamented the amount of real estate development that had occurred around the transit projects they helped plan. Analysis revealed that the ways in which professionals identified TOD opportunities helped to explain disconnects between their expectations and actual outcomes. The findings raise concerns about the effectiveness and efficiency of transit planning practice in the age of transit-oriented development and point to potential policy and practice changes that could address the issues. Title: Transit Planning Practice in the Age of Transit-Oriented Development Author: Carlton, Ian Year: 2014 Transit serves as backbone infrastructure for many regional and local visions for sustainable urban development. Also, many modern policies predicate transit funding on the potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) near proposed infrastructure investments. However, little research has examined how TOD considerations have informed transit planning. This presentation discusses the results of recent dissertation research that fills this gap. Through multiple transit project case studies and interviews with nearly 100 transit planning professionals, this research categorized how transit projects across 19 U.S. regions were designed to foster TOD and how transit planning professionals identified TOD opportunities as projects were planned. During interviews, many professionals lamented the amount of real estate development that had occurred around the transit projects they helped plan. Analysis revealed that the ways in which professionals identified TOD opportunities helped to explain disconnects between their expectations and actual outcomes. The findings raise concerns about the effectiveness and efficiency of transit planning practice in the age of transit-oriented development and point to potential policy and practice changes that could address the issues. Close

• 2. [Article] TOD Beats TAD in Affordability Showdown

  A research project compares transportation affordability between transitoriented development (TOD) and transit-adjacent development (TAD).

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: TOD Beats TAD in Affordability Showdown Author: Scheer, Brenda Year: 2017 A research project compares transportation affordability between transitoriented development (TOD) and transit-adjacent development (TAD). Title: TOD Beats TAD in Affordability Showdown Author: Scheer, Brenda Year: 2017 A research project compares transportation affordability between transitoriented development (TOD) and transit-adjacent development (TAD). Close

• 3. [Article] Transit Can Inspire Neighborhood Revitalization

  In-depth case studies explore how transit-oriented development can revitalize neighborhoods without displacing low-income residents.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Transit Can Inspire Neighborhood Revitalization Author: Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco, Herrera, Roanel Year: 2015 In-depth case studies explore how transit-oriented development can revitalize neighborhoods without displacing low-income residents. Title: Transit Can Inspire Neighborhood Revitalization Author: Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco, Herrera, Roanel Year: 2015 In-depth case studies explore how transit-oriented development can revitalize neighborhoods without displacing low-income residents. Close

• 4. [Article] Realistic or Utopian? Coordinating Transit and Land Use to Achieve Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

  Equitable transit-oriented development (E-TOD)—the prioritization of social equity as an outcome of TOD implementation—has become a U.S. DOT policy stance, an objective of many other government bodies, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Realistic or Utopian? Coordinating Transit and Land Use to Achieve Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Author: Carlton, Ian Year: 2016 Equitable transit-oriented development (E-TOD)—the prioritization of social equity as an outcome of TOD implementation—has become a U.S. DOT policy stance, an objective of many other government bodies, and part of many NGOs' missions. But is it feasible to coordinate transit and land use in ways that allow us to achieve these goals, or is this a classic example of a wicked problem? This talk will use Portland as a case study to explore some of the internal contradictions inherent in E-TOD goals, the systemic challenges that must be considered, and glimmers of hope for delivering E-TOD. Transportation and land use planners, housing developers, social equity advocates, and others are invited to join this cross-cutting discussion. Title: Realistic or Utopian? Coordinating Transit and Land Use to Achieve Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Author: Carlton, Ian Year: 2016 Equitable transit-oriented development (E-TOD)—the prioritization of social equity as an outcome of TOD implementation—has become a U.S. DOT policy stance, an objective of many other government bodies, and part of many NGOs' missions. But is it feasible to coordinate transit and land use in ways that allow us to achieve these goals, or is this a classic example of a wicked problem? This talk will use Portland as a case study to explore some of the internal contradictions inherent in E-TOD goals, the systemic challenges that must be considered, and glimmers of hope for delivering E-TOD. Transportation and land use planners, housing developers, social equity advocates, and others are invited to join this cross-cutting discussion. Close

• 5. [Article] Continuous Data Integration for Land Use and Transportation Planning and Modeling

  There is an urgent need for improved models that address the interdependencies between land use and transportation, and considerable new work is underway to develop such models in Oregon and elsewhere. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Continuous Data Integration for Land Use and Transportation Planning and Modeling Author: Wang, Liming, Kim, Kihong Year: 2014 There is an urgent need for improved models that address the interdependencies between land use and transportation, and considerable new work is underway to develop such models in Oregon and elsewhere. These models and planning practices to integrate land use into the process, however, require the integration of massive amounts of land use data that is messy and incomplete. There have been considerable advances in the treatment of such data problems in other domains, drawing on data mining and machine-learning techniques to address issues in various domains. To date, however, little systematic effort has applied these technological advances to the problem domain of land use and transportation data. Experience suggests that as much as 70% of the total effort in developing integrated land use and transportation models is directly or indirectly associated with data development, integration and cleaning, yet there is remarkably little systematic research focused on the development of reusable methods and tools to support this problem domain. In coordination with an ongoing project of similar theme funded by University of California Transportation Center (UCTC), this project will focus on bringing interdisciplinary methods to develop land use datasets for integrated land use and transportation planning and modeling, with special attention on preserving temporal dimension of the data and monitoring data quality through indicators. Utilizing statistics and machine-learning techniques, we will develop reusable tools that will create a harmonized and coherent land use database from various public and private sources. These tools will be made available to the public and can be used by cities, counties, metropolitan planning agencies, state agencies, universities or anyone else needing to develop a usable database for use in integrated planning and modeling. All of the resulting data, with the exception of proprietary or confidential input data where there is no viable alternative, would be public and reusable for planning and research. Title: Continuous Data Integration for Land Use and Transportation Planning and Modeling Author: Wang, Liming, Kim, Kihong Year: 2014 There is an urgent need for improved models that address the interdependencies between land use and transportation, and considerable new work is underway to develop such models in Oregon and elsewhere. These models and planning practices to integrate land use into the process, however, require the integration of massive amounts of land use data that is messy and incomplete. There have been considerable advances in the treatment of such data problems in other domains, drawing on data mining and machine-learning techniques to address issues in various domains. To date, however, little systematic effort has applied these technological advances to the problem domain of land use and transportation data. Experience suggests that as much as 70% of the total effort in developing integrated land use and transportation models is directly or indirectly associated with data development, integration and cleaning, yet there is remarkably little systematic research focused on the development of reusable methods and tools to support this problem domain. In coordination with an ongoing project of similar theme funded by University of California Transportation Center (UCTC), this project will focus on bringing interdisciplinary methods to develop land use datasets for integrated land use and transportation planning and modeling, with special attention on preserving temporal dimension of the data and monitoring data quality through indicators. Utilizing statistics and machine-learning techniques, we will develop reusable tools that will create a harmonized and coherent land use database from various public and private sources. These tools will be made available to the public and can be used by cities, counties, metropolitan planning agencies, state agencies, universities or anyone else needing to develop a usable database for use in integrated planning and modeling. All of the resulting data, with the exception of proprietary or confidential input data where there is no viable alternative, would be public and reusable for planning and research. Close

• 6. [Article] Commuter Rail Transit and Economic Development

  Commuter rail transit (CRT) is a form of rail passenger service connecting downtowns and other major activity centers with suburban commuter towns and beyond. Between 1834 and 1973, only three public CRT ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Commuter Rail Transit and Economic Development Author: Nelson, Arthur C., Miller, Matt, Kim, Keuntae, Ganning, Joanna P., Liu, Jenny H., Ewing, Reid Year: 2015 Commuter rail transit (CRT) is a form of rail passenger service connecting downtowns and other major activity centers with suburban commuter towns and beyond. Between 1834 and 1973, only three public CRT systems were built in the U.S. serving New York, Chicago and then Boston. There are now 25 such systems. Modern CRT systems aim to expand economic development in metropolitan areas. But do they? This paper evaluates the economic development performance of five modern CRT systems. The authors find that several economic sectors perform well within 0.50 miles of CRT stations. The authors offer planning and policy implications. Title: Commuter Rail Transit and Economic Development Author: Nelson, Arthur C., Miller, Matt, Kim, Keuntae, Ganning, Joanna P., Liu, Jenny H., Ewing, Reid Year: 2015 Commuter rail transit (CRT) is a form of rail passenger service connecting downtowns and other major activity centers with suburban commuter towns and beyond. Between 1834 and 1973, only three public CRT systems were built in the U.S. serving New York, Chicago and then Boston. There are now 25 such systems. Modern CRT systems aim to expand economic development in metropolitan areas. But do they? This paper evaluates the economic development performance of five modern CRT systems. The authors find that several economic sectors perform well within 0.50 miles of CRT stations. The authors offer planning and policy implications. Close

• 7. [Article] How Does Transportation Affordability Vary Among TODs, TADs, and Other Areas?

  Transit-oriented development (TOD) has gained popularity worldwide as a sustainable form of urbanism; it concentrates development near a transit station so as to reduce auto-dependency and increase ridership. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: How Does Transportation Affordability Vary Among TODs, TADs, and Other Areas? Author: Scheer, Brenda, Ewing, Reid, Park, Keunhyun, Khan, Shabnam Sifat Ara Year: 2017 Transit-oriented development (TOD) has gained popularity worldwide as a sustainable form of urbanism; it concentrates development near a transit station so as to reduce auto-dependency and increase ridership. Existing travel behavior studies in the context of TOD, however, are limited in terms of small sample size, inconsistent TOD classification methods, and failure to control for residential self-selection. Thus, this study has three research questions. First, how can we distinguish between Transit-oriented development (TOD) and Transit-adjacent development (TAD)? Second, how do travel behaviors vary between TODs and TADs? Third, how does transportation affordability vary between TODs and TADs? This study utilizes cluster analysis to classify station area types and propensity score matching to control residential self-selection. From cluster analysis with built-environment factors—density, diversity, and walkability—in a half-mile buffer, this study classifies existing station areas as TOD, TAD or Hybrid types. After controlling for residential self-selection, it shows that a TOD motivates its residents to walk more and take transit more while using personal vehicles less. The significant difference between TOD and TAD in both VMT and the number of auto trips demonstrates that TODs make the personal vehicle trips shorter and fewer. Travel behavior in the Hybrid type demonstrates the possibility of gradual and practical change. Finally, the percentage of household income spent on transportation is lower in TOD households than TAD households. This shows that a TOD household is likely to save enough money on vehicle ownership and use that, while it likely spends more on transit, the final result is a significantly lower financial burden from transportation. Title: How Does Transportation Affordability Vary Among TODs, TADs, and Other Areas? Author: Scheer, Brenda, Ewing, Reid, Park, Keunhyun, Khan, Shabnam Sifat Ara Year: 2017 Transit-oriented development (TOD) has gained popularity worldwide as a sustainable form of urbanism; it concentrates development near a transit station so as to reduce auto-dependency and increase ridership. Existing travel behavior studies in the context of TOD, however, are limited in terms of small sample size, inconsistent TOD classification methods, and failure to control for residential self-selection. Thus, this study has three research questions. First, how can we distinguish between Transit-oriented development (TOD) and Transit-adjacent development (TAD)? Second, how do travel behaviors vary between TODs and TADs? Third, how does transportation affordability vary between TODs and TADs? This study utilizes cluster analysis to classify station area types and propensity score matching to control residential self-selection. From cluster analysis with built-environment factors—density, diversity, and walkability—in a half-mile buffer, this study classifies existing station areas as TOD, TAD or Hybrid types. After controlling for residential self-selection, it shows that a TOD motivates its residents to walk more and take transit more while using personal vehicles less. The significant difference between TOD and TAD in both VMT and the number of auto trips demonstrates that TODs make the personal vehicle trips shorter and fewer. Travel behavior in the Hybrid type demonstrates the possibility of gradual and practical change. Finally, the percentage of household income spent on transportation is lower in TOD households than TAD households. This shows that a TOD household is likely to save enough money on vehicle ownership and use that, while it likely spends more on transit, the final result is a significantly lower financial burden from transportation. Close

• 8. [Article] Developing a model for Transit Oriented Development in Latino Immigrant Communities: A National Study of Equity and TOD

  This research project is a continuation of a previous NITC-funded study. The first study compared the MacArthur Park TOD in Los Angeles to the Fruitvale Village TOD in Oakland. The findings from this new ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Developing a model for Transit Oriented Development in Latino Immigrant Communities: A National Study of Equity and TOD Author: Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco Year: 2016 This research project is a continuation of a previous NITC-funded study. The first study compared the MacArthur Park TOD in Los Angeles to the Fruitvale Village TOD in Oakland. The findings from this new study further validate the key findings from the first study. This new comparative case study analyzed the extension of Los Angeles’ Gold Line into Boyle Heights and the revitalization linked to Boyle Heights due to two TODs built in that neighborhood. I conclude from all four cases that TODs can help serve as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization in low-income communities by paying attention and building upon endogenous forms of cultural, political, financial and built capital that exist in these neighborhoods. Residents and neighborhood activists should play a meaningful role in the development process in order to make the new investments in these communities beneficial to these barrios. The new transportation infrastructure investments will increase pressures of gentrification and, hence, I offer specific strategies and tools that urban planners and transportation policymakers can implement to help create more equitable outcomes in these barrios while mitigating for gentrification risks. Strategies learned from these case studies include building affordable housing, supporting Latino culturally relevant public spaces (Latino/barrio placemaking), investing in community-based public arts, and collaborating with activists in the neighborhoods to make these TODs more community oriented. Title: Developing a model for Transit Oriented Development in Latino Immigrant Communities: A National Study of Equity and TOD Author: Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco Year: 2016 This research project is a continuation of a previous NITC-funded study. The first study compared the MacArthur Park TOD in Los Angeles to the Fruitvale Village TOD in Oakland. The findings from this new study further validate the key findings from the first study. This new comparative case study analyzed the extension of Los Angeles’ Gold Line into Boyle Heights and the revitalization linked to Boyle Heights due to two TODs built in that neighborhood. I conclude from all four cases that TODs can help serve as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization in low-income communities by paying attention and building upon endogenous forms of cultural, political, financial and built capital that exist in these neighborhoods. Residents and neighborhood activists should play a meaningful role in the development process in order to make the new investments in these communities beneficial to these barrios. The new transportation infrastructure investments will increase pressures of gentrification and, hence, I offer specific strategies and tools that urban planners and transportation policymakers can implement to help create more equitable outcomes in these barrios while mitigating for gentrification risks. Strategies learned from these case studies include building affordable housing, supporting Latino culturally relevant public spaces (Latino/barrio placemaking), investing in community-based public arts, and collaborating with activists in the neighborhoods to make these TODs more community oriented. Close

• 9. [Article] National Study of BRT Development Outcomes

  Bus rapid transit (BRT) is poised to become the “next big thing” in public transit. From virtually no systems a generation ago, there are now 19 lines operating with at least seven under construction and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: National Study of BRT Development Outcomes Author: Nelson, Arthur C., Ganning, Joanna Year: 2015 Bus rapid transit (BRT) is poised to become the “next big thing” in public transit. From virtually no systems a generation ago, there are now 19 lines operating with at least seven under construction and more than 20 in the planning stages. BRT is gaining popularity because of its combination of low capital cost and potential for high levels of benefits. But are BRT systems effective in attracting development? To answer this and many more trending BRT questions, the Metropolitan Research Center (MRC) reviewed multiple studies using data from the United States Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, and CoStar data in a quasi-experimental, compare-and-contrast research design to compare jobs, population and households, and housing units before and after BRT station construction relative to control stations and the stations’ metropolitan context. Our units of analysis will be 2010 census blocks and their assemblages as data allow within 0.25 mile buffers. The final products of the MRC’s research include case studies of each BRT and meta-assessments of whether and to what extent BRT systems attract development. Some of the studies answer the following questions: What are the effects of BRT on sectoral employment change in the United States? How does BRT affect housing location affordability? What is the relationship between BRT and its surrounding area’s wagerelated job change? These answers can provide MPOs with information to aid in the decision-making process in terms of economic development and transportation planning options. Title: National Study of BRT Development Outcomes Author: Nelson, Arthur C., Ganning, Joanna Year: 2015 Bus rapid transit (BRT) is poised to become the “next big thing” in public transit. From virtually no systems a generation ago, there are now 19 lines operating with at least seven under construction and more than 20 in the planning stages. BRT is gaining popularity because of its combination of low capital cost and potential for high levels of benefits. But are BRT systems effective in attracting development? To answer this and many more trending BRT questions, the Metropolitan Research Center (MRC) reviewed multiple studies using data from the United States Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, and CoStar data in a quasi-experimental, compare-and-contrast research design to compare jobs, population and households, and housing units before and after BRT station construction relative to control stations and the stations’ metropolitan context. Our units of analysis will be 2010 census blocks and their assemblages as data allow within 0.25 mile buffers. The final products of the MRC’s research include case studies of each BRT and meta-assessments of whether and to what extent BRT systems attract development. Some of the studies answer the following questions: What are the effects of BRT on sectoral employment change in the United States? How does BRT affect housing location affordability? What is the relationship between BRT and its surrounding area’s wagerelated job change? These answers can provide MPOs with information to aid in the decision-making process in terms of economic development and transportation planning options. Close

• 10. [Article] Webinar: The Association Between Light Rail Transit, Streetcars and Bus Rapid Transit on Jobs, People and Rents

  What are the job, residential development and market rent outcomes of Light Rail Transit (LRT), Streetcar Transit (SCT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)? LRT, SCR and BRT investments are spreading rapidly across ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Webinar: The Association Between Light Rail Transit, Streetcars and Bus Rapid Transit on Jobs, People and Rents Author: Nelson, Arthur C. Year: 2016 What are the job, residential development and market rent outcomes of Light Rail Transit (LRT), Streetcar Transit (SCT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)? LRT, SCR and BRT investments are spreading rapidly across the country but there is scant evidence of their effect on where people work and live, and effects on market rents as an indicator of value. This webinar will summarize several years of NITC-sponsored research into development outcomes associated with these transit investments. The webinar will be led by NITC researcher Arthur C. Nelson who was the principal investigator of two projects: Do TODs Make a Difference? and National Study of Bus Rapid Transit Development Outcomes. Using a common database and analytic methods applied to 11 LRT systems, 8 BRT systems, and 3 SCT systems, Nelson will summarize key findings relating to: The extent to which these transit systems shifted job and population patterns, How these systems are shaping the real estate rental market for office, retail and apartment developments, Their influence on job attractiveness by wage categories, and, The spatial interactions between transit and land use patterns. This webinar will also raise questions for future research. Title: Webinar: The Association Between Light Rail Transit, Streetcars and Bus Rapid Transit on Jobs, People and Rents Author: Nelson, Arthur C. Year: 2016 What are the job, residential development and market rent outcomes of Light Rail Transit (LRT), Streetcar Transit (SCT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)? LRT, SCR and BRT investments are spreading rapidly across the country but there is scant evidence of their effect on where people work and live, and effects on market rents as an indicator of value. This webinar will summarize several years of NITC-sponsored research into development outcomes associated with these transit investments. The webinar will be led by NITC researcher Arthur C. Nelson who was the principal investigator of two projects: Do TODs Make a Difference? and National Study of Bus Rapid Transit Development Outcomes. Using a common database and analytic methods applied to 11 LRT systems, 8 BRT systems, and 3 SCT systems, Nelson will summarize key findings relating to: The extent to which these transit systems shifted job and population patterns, How these systems are shaping the real estate rental market for office, retail and apartment developments, Their influence on job attractiveness by wage categories, and, The spatial interactions between transit and land use patterns. This webinar will also raise questions for future research. Close