Council publishes online guide to transit-oriented development
Updated guide features Twin Cities area projects
Seven years ago, when the Metropolitan Council produced its first Guide for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), all the guide’s illustrations were from other metropolitan areas — such as Portland, San Diego, Seattle and San Francisco.
An updated, online version of the guide — now available on the Council’s website — has much more of a hometown flavor. It includes profiles of 16 TOD projects that have sprung up around the seven-county Twin Cities region.
Transit-oriented development has several advantages, not the least of which is keeping cars off of the region’s already congested roads.
New residential and commercial development has sprung up along with the Hiawatha light-rail transit line, which opened in 2004.
“Nearly four out of five work-related trips in the Twin Cities region are made driving alone,” said Sean Kershaw, executive director of the Citizens League. “Transit-oriented development gives people more choices that don’t require driving. It’s also a more efficient use of land than the typical development in this region over the last few decades.”
Demographic changes, congestion create market
“Changing demographics, individual preferences and increased traffic congestion have combined to create a market for TOD-type projects,” says Council planning analyst John Kari.
Kari says this trend is particularly evident within “our largest demographic age group, the Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964). As the boomers retire, and as their children leave home, many are looking for condos and townhomes located near restaurants, shops, parks and transit.”
TOD comes in different forms. It generally is defined as moderate to higher-density development located within easy walking distance of a major transit stop, generally with a mix of residential, employment and shopping opportunities designed for pedestrians without excluding the auto.
National market research shows an increasing number of people want to live near gathering places and amenities, Kari said. Some seek this by moving closer to downtowns, but others prefer to remain in their own communities with gathering places or “town centers” added so they can feel more connected to others.
Guide shares “lessons learned” on existing projects
To help local communities and developers understand transit-oriented development, the Council’s updated handbook provides guidelines for how TOD principles can be used in different urban and suburban settings. Each of the 16 profiles of Twin Cities area projects includes a section on “lessons learned.”
Falcon Heights Town Square, located on two Metro Transit bus routes, replaced an aging shopping center.
One of the featured projects is Falcon Heights Town Square, a 4.5-acre mixed-use development that replaced an aging shopping center at the intersection of Snelling and Larpenteur Aves. It includes 12,000 square feet of commercial space, 56 units of senior housing and 119 units of multi-family housing with underground parking, and 14 owner-occupied townhomes. Two Metro Transit routes — one going north-south and the other east-west — have stops near the development.
“I think a lot of people selected this location to live because of the access to transit,” said Sue Gehrz, mayor of Falcon Heights. “I see a lot of people from the redevelopment area at the bus stops.” The multi-family units all were leased in a record six weeks, the fastest the developer had ever seen for a rental project, she said.
Framework encourages connected land uses
The Council’s 2030 Regional Development Framework encourages communities to promote land-use patterns that “cluster housing, businesses, retail and services in walkable, transit-oriented centers along transportation corridors.” The Guide for TOD is advisory only, providing a resource for communities that choose to use it.
“The handbook can help communities save a lot of time and money,” said Karen Lyons, a senior transportation planner at the Council. “We asked people working with profiled projects to share their own experiences so others would see that TOD could also work for them.”
The Guide to Transit-Oriented Development is just one of several Council resources created by staff to assist communities with their 2008 comprehensive plan updates. Other resources include the Local Planning Handbook, On Course seminars and the Natural Resources Digital Atlas.