Successful TOD

What Makes TOD Successful? 
By: Chris Harpstrite

There are many reasons that make transit-oriented development an ideal way to advance community development. The question city leaders and developers are asking is if transit-oriented development is right for every community. A recent study done by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD) has plotted a formula to determine whether TOD will work in a particular community. There are five core elements that are factors in the formula to analyze a community’s success. 

· Places – nearby amenities such as restaurants, retail, grocery stores, etc.

· Proximity – travel time and distance to employment hubs or a central business district

· People – population density

· Physical Form – block size, street layout, and similar factors that affect walkability

· De(P)endence – ownership of and reliance on private vehicles

There are two examples that used CTOD’s formula on stations in Pittsburgh, they show the “pentagon” formula functioning showing what community is more car-dependent versus a more transit-oriented community.






As you can see Chatham Square is a more transit-oriented community with high levels of amenities, proximity, people, and walkability with low dependence on vehicles. Casswell on the other hand does not possess the people, proximity, or amenities to support transit oriented development. In a later post I will show how my thesis site rates on CTOD’s scale. Information for this blog post was provided by Citizens for Modern Transit and Center for Transit Oriented Development.