How Can Connecticut Take Advantage of Transit-Oriented Development?

1. Robert N. Lane, Director Regional Design Program How Can Connecticut Take Advantage of Transit-Oriented Development? Regional Plan Association www.rpa.org

2. Technical Lessons Beyond parking and density - find the intersection of: • Transit agency priorities parking, development , ridership • Community based goals and objectives place-making, redevelopment • Technical constraints market, traffic/access, context, environment

3. Technical Lessons • The architecture DOES matter • Parking can be managed creatively • Density needs to be explained • Housing needs to be explained • Create a flexible framework for redevelopment

4. Process Lessons • Empower and engage stakeholders • Use a diversity of formats and media • Iterative process and planning • Multiple levels of stakeholder involvement

5. Transit Oriented Development in the NY Region: • Brownfield redevelopment • Retrofitting sprawl • Intensifying centers TOD Growth Existing Trend Growth

6. What is the Share of Workers Who Reach Their New Jersey Jobs by Rail? • To Jersey City - 21% (9 lines) – PATH, light rail line highly frequent service • To Newark – 9% (6 lines) – PATH, Newark Subway, NEC, NJCL • Trenton – 1% (2 lines) – NEC • To New Brunswick - 1% (1 line) - NEC • Elizabeth -1% (2 lines) - NEC • To Atlantic City - 1% (1 line) – once an hour

10. Somerville Landfill and Station Area Planning Study

11. Overview – Design Downtown gateway Mixed-use station area New civic space Two new neighborhoods Green gateway

12. Overview – Design

13. Overview – Design

14. Station Area Hotel Movie Theatre

15. Stamford – Glenbrook and Springdale

16. New Britain Mayors Institute Sketch

17. Bridgeport Intermodal Center

18. Technical Lesson: The Architecture Does Matter • A deteriorating suburban corridor is saved • Multiple actors • Public subsidy • Control over land use • Transportation • Very high transit share • Good car access The Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor

19. Technical Lesson: The Architecture Does Matter • Implementation • Consistency • Public participation • Issues • Quality of urban design • Affordability

20. Technical Lesson: Parking Can Be Managed Creatively

21. Technical Lesson: Parking Can Be Managed creatively

22. Technical Lesson: Density needs to be explained Understanding density Is Density “du per acre” or perception? Use local precedents

25. Relative value of locational attribute on an average-priced property (in 2003 dollars)

26. Technical Lesson: Explain Housing Revenue

27. Technical Lesson: Explain Housing • Tax: $300,000 • Units: 105 • Density: • 18 du/acre • Cars/unit: • 1.85 • Children/unit: • .05-.1 Understanding Housing Franklin Square, Metucheon

28. Technical Lesson: Create A Flexible Framework for Development Calibrate to local capabilities Netcong, NJ

29. Process Lesson: Use a Diversity of Formats Diversity of formats town hall meetings, charrettes, and other convenings Diversity of media Interactive models

30. Process Lesson: Use a Diversity of Formats

31. Process Lesson: Design an Iterative Process • Technical Studies • Land use • analysis • Market • reconnaisance • Transportation • analysis Workshop #1: Steering Committee shared understanding expectations management vision statement Workshop #2: Steering Committee plus Stakeholders expectations management concept design alternatives Workshop #3: Steering Committee plus Stakeholders schematic design consensus Workshop #4: Presentation to larger group final design final analysis • Visioning • What do you • really want? • Principles • Issues and • Opportunities Plan Guidelines Implementation Strategy Concerns

32. Process Lesson: Design an Iterative Process Netcong, NJ Iterative Process: Test schemes and “straw men”

33. Process Lesson: Enable Multiple Levels of Stakeholder Involvement

34. Technical Lessons • The architecture DOES matter • Parking can be managed creatively • Density needs to be explained • Housing needs to be explained • Create a flexible framework for redevelopment Beyond parking and density - find the intersection of: • Transit agency priorities parking, development , ridership • Community based goals and objectives place-making, redevelopment • Technical constraints market, traffic/access, context, environment

35. Process Lessons • Empower and engage stakeholders • Use a diversity of formats and media • Iterative process and planning • Multiple levels of stakeholder involvement