Browsing by Subject "TOD"

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An analysis of the City of Austin’s TOD guidelines and interim standards of development
(2007-08) Clark, Norma Katherine, 1983-; Beamish, Anne, 1954-
The purpose of this study is to analyze the interim standards and determine whether or not they provide enough of a design base to produce a site plan which satisfies the City’s TOD principles. These guidelines and standards express vital elements and characteristics which the city desires to implement within their TOD districts. By developing a site plan for a specified TOD using only the given interim standards of development I will be able to examine their strengths and weakness and determine whether or not the goals of the City guidelines were met.
Are small efficiency dwelling units the next wave for urban dwellers in Austin's infill development? : Exploring the development feasibility for small efficiency dwelling units in Austin's TODs
(2012-12) Galindo Gimon, Andres Ignacio 1979-; Kahn, Terry D.
The following report details research and analysis in order to assess the background market and market-based feasibility of the development of efficiency apartment units in the central Austin Area. It explores the potential and opportunities of reducing the size of apartments and promoting efficiency apartment unit development as a strategy to improve housing affordability for the Generation Y (Gen Y) population while taking advantage of urban redevelopment investments near Austin’s main TODs. The body of this study will discuss: (1) Generation Y and its impact on Austin’s housing market; (2) concepts and facts related to housing affordability; (3) strategies used by the city of Austin to promote infill development and existing transit oriented development sites; and (4) an overview of key housing development strategies and the real estate development process, including market analysis and absorption forecast under current housing market conditions. The study evaluates the implications of a significant demand for less expensive and smaller alternative housing products for a growing population group near downtown Austin. This report may contributes to the policy discussion about different approaches to housing affordability and offers an assessment guide for new housing development opportunities for a diverse range of city residents.
Creative financing & strategies for mixed-income transit oriented development in Dallas, Texas
(2013-08) Partovi, Lauren Neda; Wilson, Barbara B. (Barbara Brown)
This study evaluates the current environment for mixed-income transit oriented development along DART rail within the city limits of Dallas. A close look at income and racial disparity is used as the foundation for advocating for a more proactive and aggressive approach to the development of affordable units proximate to affordable transportation choices. Assembling financing for mixed-income TOD projects is especially challenging, and multiple layers of federal, state, and city funding mechanisms are required for achieving the capital requirements of the development. Both typical affordable housing funding methods and new and nontraditional funding methods for multifamily housing were researched and evaluated with the intention to propose possibilities for catalyzing development in DART station areas within the City of Dallas that have, to this point, experienced underdevelopment.
Demographic characteristics of transit-oriented development areas in California
(2008-08) Huang, Chao-Hsing, active 2008; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-
This study is to understand how Transit-Oriented Development influences demographic characteristics within its boundary. Case studies from the California TOD database was used. Through the changes of TOD during 1990 and 2000 and the comparison of trends in TODs and located regions, many TODs are low-income areas and such factors induces other demographic phenomenon. Meanwhile, the level of transit use did not change much and the vehicle ownership did not decrease definitely. Though such facts might imply the inefficiency of TOD, there are other factors such as economic and transit environment that cause this fact. Thus, TOD is actually influenced heavily by background policies, experience, and supportive transit circumstances.
Evaluation criteria for successful suburban-style transit-oriented development : a case study of TOD plans for commuter rail in the Austin, TX metropolitan area
(2006-08) Hercules, Jason Michael; McMillan, Tracy E.
This paper seeks to determine how the elements of true Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) can successfully be implemented in a suburban setting. The author establishes firm criteria for creating successful TOD. These criteria are then used to evaluate both TOD and neighborhood plans for case study sites in the Austin, TX metropolitan area. The paper completes this evaluation by pointing out synergies, discrepancies and offering recommendations for improvement, based on the case studies.
Investigating potential impacts of corridor TOD along Austin’s rapid bus line
(2017-05) Diggikar, Neha; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-
In the recent years, Austin has grown rapidly, and traffic congestion and low transit ridership have become issues that need to be addressed. City of Austin has tried to apply the concepts of Transit-Oriented Development to grow sustainably and solve some of these issues and found many station areas lacking compact mixed-use development. This report, adhering to principles of TOD, applies compact mixed-use development patterns to undeveloped parcels on the 801 Rapid Corridor. Using the Envision Tomorrow Scenario Builder and the MXD tool, impacts of this development on mode choice and other directly related indicators such as public health, affordability, and emissions are measured. At the same time, the study also tests the reliability of the MXD tool by approaching the TOD scenarios at three different spatial scales. It re-emphasizes the benefits of mixed-use development around transit, and gives a quantitative measure of the impacts it will have along the 801 Rapid Bus corridor in Austin.
Making TOD equitable : a genetic algorithm approach
(2022-05-06) Hemeon-McMahon, Aodhan; Wegmann, Jake; Zhang, Ming
In response to swiftly rising rental rates in the City of Austin, Texas, in 2017 the Austin City Council adopted a 10-year plan for creating affordable housing units called the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint. This professional report takes a quantitative approach to identifying the costs and development constraints associated with meeting part of the Strategic Housing Blueprint goals for building affordable housing units along two future light-rail corridors proposed through Project Connect, a major transit project approved by Austin voters in the November 2020 election. After setting a series of pro forma assumptions for all parcels within the study area, I use the genetic algorithm modeling program Evolver to solve for the lowest subsidy cost which would be required to build the number of affordable housing units necessary to meet the Housing Blueprint goals under three different zoning scenarios. My results suggest that current zoning within the study area is an enormous hurdle to developing the amount of affordable housing needed in the study area according to the Housing Blueprint. However, raising multifamily zoning levels can create extensive reductions in the total cost of meeting the affordable housing unit goals. Further, my results show that creating a TIF program within the study area which is dedicated to producing affordable housing could provide funding for a large amount of subsidy costs in all scenarios, and could theoretically fund all subsidy costs if multifamily zoning levels were considerably increased
Market feasibility analysis of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Station Transit Oriented Development Zone
(2013-08) Ashby, Michael David; Kahn, Terry D.
The area surrounding Capital Metro’s Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) MetroRail Station was designated a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) zone and a plan was published in 2009. However, to date there has been very little development, and the development that has occurred is significantly different from what is called for by the plan. This report examines some of the difficulties of implementing TOD in Austin and the factors that could contribute to successful TOD projects. A market analysis of the MLK Station Area explores the economic feasibility of developing land there to its highest and best use. It concludes that the general dearth of TOD in Austin and lack of dense, mixed-use development in the MLK neighborhood make the kind of development called for in the MLK Station Area Plan excessively risky for developers. However, a more conventional multifamily development would be feasible, and increased station-area density could contribute to the success of future TOD.
Measuring the effects of Austin’s Transit-Oriented Development zoning districts through multi-family property analysis
(2020-05-08) Lantelme, Cody Jack; Wegmann, Jake; Oden, Michael
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) has become a popular technique for cities that are seeking to supplement public transportation investments with dense developments that serve to improve tax assessment values and increase ridership. The literature on TOD provides considerable insights on TOD implementation and value capture techniques, as well as numerous case studies that show the effects of TOD projects in other major cities. The literature also reveals problems with TOD implementation and the tendency of planners to overestimate the ability of TOD zoning to spur dense development and increase property values. Based upon a review of the successes and limitations of TOD strategies, this report assesses multi-family apartment communities near each of the three TOD station area regulating plans for the Red Line Commuter Rail in Austin, Texas. Evaluation of the data on multi-family rental housing indicates that there is not a significant rent or occupancy premium associated with newer properties near Red Line stations. In one of the three cases studied, older properties did benefit from the accessibility and infrastructure improvements associated with transit and TOD infrastructure improvements based on rent and rent per square foot premiums, although more research will be needed to determine whether this observation is coincidence or a trend. As transit infrastructure in Austin is improved, this study will provide a baseline for measuring the success of properties near stations. It is possible that transit infrastructure improvements will result in rent and occupancy premiums for station area properties in the future.
Neo medieval urbanism : timeless urban design strategies gleaned from lasting European cities
(2015-05) Bagnasco, Angela Rose; Young, Robert F., Ph. D.; Robertson, Jim
Neo-medieval urbanism is the proposal to build urban villages in larger metropolitan areas by mimicking the design of medieval European cities. This development type is modeled after German and Italian medieval towns that existed as independent city states from the 11th century. This method for designing new communities is consistent with the high demand for walkable urbanism and the trend toward transit-oriented development. Neo-medieval urban design has the potential to create human and ecological value through an architecture that restores pedestrians as the principle users of the city and builds community. Neo-medieval features such as scale, aesthetics, context-sensitivity, and natural relationship come together in a comfortable place for people. Such design would achieve environmental objectives including using less fossil-fuel energy and lower aggregate resource consumption. Quality of life improvements when coupled with an inclusionary housing policy, would enable a variety of income groups to live well. Furthermore, neo-medieval urbanism could be a tool for local economic resilience. Neo-medieval neighborhoods need not break much from their lasting European counterparts and thus could be home and workplace to some 5,000-50,000 people. Site studies of Bologna, Siena, Lucca, and Venice in Italy and Bamberg, Rothenberg, Regensburg, and Freiburg in Germany grounded this project. Methods for producing Neo-medieval urban villages include discussion of design features, a process for designing a neo-medieval neighborhood, and a model neo-medieval zoning code. Additionally, the conceptual design for the Lakeline TOD in Austin, Texas serves as a visualization. This paper concludes that neo-medieval urbanism could achieve many local policy objectives and is the ideal form for transit-oriented development and urban villages within cities.
Operationalizing green transit oriented development : a pilot study of CO2 emissions in Plaza Saltillo, Austin, Texas
(2024-05) Lee, Tat Chern Shawn; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-; Wegmann, Jake
Green TOD integrates the concepts of the traditional Transit Oriented Development with those of Green Urbanism to create a synergistic framework that promotes environmental sustainability. In light of the increasing number and greater intensity of climate events, Green TOD can be a holistic climate mitigation strategy that cities can employ. However, Green TOD has not been widely adopted in the United States yet. This might be due to several factors, including the need for more clarity and substantiation of Green TOD as a concept, the lack of an operational framework and metrics that would enable practice and performance assessment, and finally the insufficiency of empirical knowledge and data to set up Green TOD parameters and performance assessment benchmarks. This study addresses the three issues above by (1) expanding the literature and understanding of Green TOD; (2) developing an operational framework and metrics to quantify carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Green TOD; and (3) testing the green performance of Plaza Saltillo TOD in the City of Austin to obtain empirical results from the framework.
Station area access within transit-oriented development : a typological analysis
(2006-05) Hennigan, Matthew Francis; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-; McMillan, Tracy E.
Transit joint development (TJD) is a specific component of transit-oriented development (TOD) characterized most commonly by a collaborative development relationship between transit agencies and private developers. A spatial evaluation of public and private properties within TOD station areas offers a valuable and unique point of view to examine the association between transit agencies, local government and private developers. The link between transit space including entrances, exits, lobbies, direct connections, multi-modal integration and immediately adjacent private property is essential to the success of TOD. This report offers insight and analysis concerning the spatial interface and access between public and private properties within the station area from a multimodal standpoint in an effort to evaluate the conditions that promote optimal pedestrian connectivity in harmony with the presence of the automobile and other motorized forms of transportation. Within this report a station area spatial interface - access typology is introduced, which captures the various interfaces between public and private properties at transit station areas from a multimodal perspective. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail system was the model for this typology To better understand the spatial relationship between these principal TOD players, an evaluation of the factors that affect the physical composition of TOD - TJD station areas is also conducted. These factors include site limitations and opportunities, financial arrangements, and land use regulatory policy.
Transit oriented development and neighborhood change along the light rail system : the social equity impact of the Metro Blue line in Los Angeles
(2014-08) Sung, Seyoung; Jiao, Junfeng
This report examines how the neighborhoods along the Metro Blue line have changed over the past two decades, and reflects on the current emerging issue in Transit oriented development (TOD), which is promoting equitable transit neighborhoods. The primary study area includes the route of the Metro Blue line through Los Angeles County where the most economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities are located in the county. In order to investigate the impact of the rail line effectively, the concept of Walksheds are used as the units of analysis, which is defined as the area within a half-mile walking distance from the transit station. Focusing on social equity impact of the transit system operation, the comparison analysis between Los Angeles County and the twenty-two Walksheds of each station in the line evaluates the changes in the close-by neighborhoods while also looking at various social demographic indicators that can reflect demographic shifts using decennial Census data of 1990, 2000, and 2010. While looking at the change through time series data analysis vertically, the performance of each station area is examined horizontally. Therefore, comparative analysis is conducted in four stages to figure out the extent to which the neighborhoods have changed, how rapidly the change occurred and whether the neighborhood change occurred in a positive way or not. The result from the four comparative analyses indicates that the Metro Blue line did not work as a catalyst for promoting economic opportunity in the region in spite of the initial expectations of its advocates. In the beginning of the rail operation of 1990, the neighborhoods along the rail line were excluded and poverty was widespread in the region. However, even after two decades, the twenty-two Walksheds along the Metro Blue Line still remain as undesirable places to live and marginalized as compared to the rest of the county. Moreover, the neighborhood change in the twenty-two Walksheds is negatively linked to the Walksheds based on the result of the comparative analysis.
Transit-oriented development in the Texas Triangle megaregion : an inventory of planning practices and infrastructure, and a synthesis of stakeholder perspectives
(2018-10-08) Goodrich, Brendan Michael; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-
While most Texas Triangle planning agencies at the state, regional, and local level agree that transit-oriented development (TOD) would benefit their communities, less than ¼ report having even adopted a definition for TOD for their jurisdiction. As a result, most of the region’s 181 TOD-ready sites remain underdeveloped. Planning agencies need guidance in developing policies and guidelines that support the construction of quality TOD at rapid transit stations. This research set forth to inventory TOD in the Texas Triangle, as well as identify the reasons for successes and failures around the megaregion. Through desktop research, surveys, and interviews, this research found that public agencies crucially need guidance on new and useful Texas value capture mechanisms—especially TIRZs and TRZs—which could fund needed capital projects for station areas and for transit lines. Additionally, planning agencies need access to best practices for TOD-specific land development codes. Quality codes can both guide development to these sites and depoliticize the agonizing approval process reported by all parties for density-increasing TOD projects. Planners and developers were largely supportive of form-based codes which allow for higher densities and for developer flexibility, often identified as key to realizing progress at TOD sites. With an increase in quality partnerships and improvements in demonstrated public investment and TOD-specific development codes, TOD in the Texas Triangle holds tremendous yet-unrealized potential.
Walkability assessment in a transit-oriented development setting : a pilot study using a Geographic Information System
(2011-12) Chung, Myung Kyung; Lee, Ming-Chun; Zhang, Ming
Many studies and land use planning attempts have done to influence people’s travel choices these days. Rather than sprawl development with automobile-dependent, single-use zoning, and cul-de-sacs, scholars and city planners now prefer and recommend more walkable, mixed-use development, and compact development. Along with neo-traditional development and pedestrian pockets, one trend of recent urban planning, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), has attracted people’s attention. Given the new development of transportation methods, the present study explores how new transit stations will change people’s mobility and activity patterns. The main contribution of this project is to create an index of walkability attributions in a TOD setting based on previous research and to suggest assessment measures of walkability using a Geographic Information System (GIS).
When TOD moves into the neighborhood : towards locally-sustainable transit-oriented development
(2006-05) Fried, Justin Solomon; Mueller, Elizabeth J.
This paper investigates how transit-oriented development can protect and enhance community sustainability. This study explores literature on community capacity, social capital, and neighborhood change to generate a definition of community sustainability appropriate for urban neighborhoods in transition. It then looks at current models proposed in the literature for assessing transit-oriented development (TOD), and finds little of relevance for the concerns of social sustainability. The study then draws sustainability indicators from other social science literature and assesses their usefulness for transit-oriented development. Finally, it develops a set of indicators appropriate for measuring the performance of TOD in protecting or enhancing community sustainability in these neighborhoods. These indicators can be used as a starting point for agencies and local groups to develop outcome-oriented measures of success for the local sustainability of future transit-oriented developments.