10 Myths and Mistakes o f First Generation TOD p resentation to Prince George’s County Planning Staff Alia Anderson, UL

1. 10 Myths and Mistakes of First Generation TOD presentation to Prince George’s County Planning Staff Alia Anderson, ULI Washington June 29, 2012

2. Transit-oriented Development (TOD) • 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

3. 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

4. 1. Transit-adjacent ≠ Transit-oriented Mockingbird Station, Dallas Texas Example: Mockingbird Station, Dallas • Model TOD has been criticized for lack of strong pedestrian connectivity http://www.dallascityhall.com/forwardDallas/pdf/UrbanDesignElement.pdf

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 3. Who benefits from TOD? Rhode Island Station, Washington, DC • New Units • Regulatory strategies or incentives • Market-affordable projects • Property Acquisition Case Study:

9. 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

10. 5. NIMBYs • Creating YIMBYs takes: • Long-term commitment • Ex: Great Communities Collaborative • Early public engagement • Champions • “Developers worry about the market but fear public process.”

11. 5. NIMBYs • What 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

12. 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?”

13. 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

14. 8. Prioritizing TOD efforts • Jurisdictions must have laser focus on priority areas Case Study: Portland Metro’s TOD Strategic Plan

15. 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

16. 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

17. Transit-oriented Development (TOD) • Questions and Feedback