El desarrollo orientado al tránsito
Uno de los principales desafíos de TOD es coordinar a las diversas partes interesadas involucradas, como agencias de tránsito, gobiernos locales, desarrolladores y residentes. Sin una colaboración y comunicación efectivas, los proyectos TOD pueden enfrentar retrasos, conflictos e inconsistencias. Por ejemplo, las agencias de tránsito pueden tener diferentes estándares y prioridades que los desarrolladores, o los gobiernos locales pueden tener marcos regulatorios y de zonificación incompatibles. Para evitar este escollo, los proyectos TOD deben establecer objetivos, roles y responsabilidades claros entre las partes interesadas, y crear una visión y estrategia compartidas que se alineen con el contexto y las necesidades locales.
Transit-oriented development (TOD) in India, for example, is often seen as just building high-rises near transit hubs. common pitfalls in TOD include overlooking the integration of transit stations with surrounding neighborhoods, which can limit accessibility and effectiveness. Additionally, failing to incorporate affordable housing within TOD areas often leads to gentrification, excluding lower-income residents and inadequate mixed-use development and insufficient sustainable practices diminish the potential of TOD, while poor infrastructure planning can intensify congestion and overburden public services.
Framing each project as a transit oriented COMMUNITY (TOC) helps to bring all stakeholders together. Settings a mission statement, planning and designing with the community takes longer at the start and speeds up all the other stages when the community is for the TOC they help the public and private teams acheive their goals.
Transit-oriented development often doesn't consider the low-income communities living around it. These vulnerable communities should be involved in decision-making before the implementation. The top players must let them know their rights without exploitation. We also need to ensure TOD must align with the universal design principles.
A well-known example of a good TOD design in North America known to me is the Rosalyn Ballston corridor in Arlington Virginia. I have a detailed study of its urban design characteristics in my research paper that maps its success.
This is a huge challenge in smaller, less structured municipalities. I'm the head of the traffic department in a small municipality, and even coordinating the different departments within the same town hall is complicated.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) aims to improve public transit use, decrease traffic congestion, and build lively communities. Common mistakes such as neglecting community input, focusing solely on density, and lacking infrastructure support can hinder these goals. To avoid these, planners should involve the community early, balance density with infrastructure upgrades, and incorporate a mix of residential, commercial, and public spaces. Providing convenient transit access, affordable housing options, and considering environmental impact are also vital. Prioritizing long-term benefits, accessibility, and equity will lead to sustainable and thriving TODs.
El diseño de la estación de tránsito es un elemento clave de TOD, ya que influye en el atractivo, la conveniencia y la seguridad del servicio de tránsito y el área circundante. Sin embargo, algunos proyectos TOD descuidan el diseño de la estación o no lo integran con el tejido urbano. Por ejemplo, la estación puede estar aislada, inaccesible o mal conectada a la red de calles, o puede carecer de comodidades, servicios o señalización. Para evitar este error, los proyectos TOD deben diseñar la estación como un punto focal y una puerta de entrada, y garantizar que sea visible, accesible y atractiva para peatones, ciclistas y usuarios del tránsito.
Design excellence and design language consistency integration at alll scales of the TOC project from the graphic design of the LOGO to the Engineering, and Architecture of all stations is a foundation for the success of the project within and between the communities.
A new station means an expansion of the system and huge costs, and usually little is “left over” for the surroundings. It's as if the designers were thinking from the inside of the station to the inside of the transport, and there was little energy left over for relations with the street: of course, this is a recipe for bad design
A incapacidade de conciliar a proposta com real interesse do mercado imobiliário, não no seu aspecto especulativo mas na formação espontânea do território.
Otro aspecto esencial de TOD es crear una masa crítica de densidad y diversidad alrededor de la estación de tránsito, para apoyar el número de pasajeros del transporte público, la economía local y la vitalidad social. Sin embargo, algunos proyectos TOD no logran alcanzar la densidad y diversidad óptimas, o crean un desequilibrio entre ellos. Por ejemplo, la densidad puede ser demasiado baja o demasiado alta, o la diversidad puede ser limitada o sesgada. Para evitar este error, los proyectos TOD deben adaptar la densidad y la diversidad al modo de tránsito, la demanda del mercado y el carácter de la comunidad, y garantizar que proporcionen una combinación de vivienda, empleos, servicios y comodidades para diferentes niveles de ingresos y estilos de vida.
Having done work with transit stations and urban design, a model can be drawn from form-based planning: that density around TOC's is highest around the station areas and other hubs feeding thereinto. Density away from station areas can reduce, but still have a "complete streets" sense of design, that hubs for social and economic activity along feeders to TOCs and station areas meet the needs of transit users and residents there. Transit lines and stations should be designed to KNIT the communities together as seamlessly as possible.
In São Paulo, there was an interesting, but rather nefarious effect: axes fed by the expansion of the metro network received high-rise buildings full of parking lots. It has been noted that the residents who benefit most from public transport may be the very ones who refuse to use it.
El espacio público es otro componente crucial de TOD, ya que mejora la calidad de vida, el sentido del lugar y la interacción social de los residentes y visitantes. Sin embargo, algunos proyectos TOD pasan por alto el espacio público o proporcionan espacios inadecuados o inapropiados. Por ejemplo, el espacio público puede ser escaso, fragmentado o mal diseñado, o puede no reflejar la cultura, la identidad o las necesidades locales. Para evitar esta falla, los proyectos TOD deben asignar espacio público suficiente y contiguo alrededor de la estación de tránsito y a lo largo de los corredores principales, y diseñarlo como un espacio flexible, atractivo y funcional que sirva a múltiples propósitos y usuarios.
One common pitfall in transit-oriented development (TOD) design is the failure to allocate sufficient public space. Neglecting well-designed public areas can lead to overcrowded, inefficient spaces that fail to support community engagement and walkability. Without ample parks, plazas, and pedestrian pathways, TOD projects risk becoming congested and car-centric, undermining their core goals of promoting sustainable, transit-focused lifestyles. Ensuring that public spaces are prioritized allows for vibrant, accessible environments that enhance livability, promote social interaction, and encourage the use of public transit, making TOD more successful and appealing.
There are fantastic tactical urban planning projects around transport stations precisely to improve the quality and quantity of public spaces, as well as ensuring safe pedestrian and bicycle access. It's worth painting the street, putting in flower boxes, making the environment calmer (such as a zone 30km/h), widening sidewalks and putting in traffic calming measures!
Density matters as does the diversity of surrounding compatible land uses that support public life in TODs. Spatial design to provide room and visual orientation, scale make for viable public spaces.
El entorno peatonal y ciclista es otro factor vital de TOD, ya que permite el acceso y la movilidad de las personas que viven, trabajan o visitan el área TOD. Sin embargo, algunos proyectos TOD ignoran el entorno peatonal y de bicicletas o crean condiciones hostiles o inseguras para ellos. Por ejemplo, las aceras pueden ser estrechas, obstruidas o desconectadas, o los carriles para bicicletas pueden faltar, ser inadecuados o inseguros. Para evitar esta deficiencia, los proyectos TOD deben priorizar el entorno peatonal y ciclista y crear una red cómoda, conveniente y segura de caminos, cruces e instalaciones que conecten la estación de tránsito con los destinos circundantes.
A general citizen looks at TOD with an image of just high speed rails. Here comes the problem! The decision makers must prioritise - Pedestrian friendly (most important) and ensure provision of Cycling tracks. Not to miss, the integration of seating furniture (for intermediate resting ) and plantscaping or landscaping (for beautification as well as to act as breathable space)
When it comes to TOD, we should first understand what type of transit we are designing for. Generally TODs are all about multimodal shifts. This calls for care in smartly integrating the different transit experiences. One trick is designing with speed. If I am in a car I'll move fast and won't mind sound. If I am cycling, I want to avoid unnecessary stops and close proximity to bigger/faster vehicles. if am walking, I am looking for quite, and the possibility to stop, slow down, rest, and start again.
Here's another example from São Paulo: we saw (with pride and hope) the provision of bicycle parking spaces based on the distance from the station, which is correct, but without taking into account the routes that cyclists feel safe taking. In practice, this resulted in the possibility of bicycle parking after a conflict point where the cyclist didn't want to be. In this sense, the complexity is to reconcile not only the immediate surroundings, but also the quality of the transportation network available. I think we can carry this example over to pedestrians as well
El último pero no menos importante escollo de TOD es descuidar el contexto local y la comunidad, e imponer un modelo genérico o inapropiado de TOD que no se ajuste a las condiciones, oportunidades o desafíos existentes. Por ejemplo, el proyecto TOD puede ignorar las características históricas, culturales o ambientales del sitio, o puede no responder a las necesidades, preferencias o aspiraciones de los residentes locales y las partes interesadas. Para evitar este error, los proyectos TOD deben respetar y mejorar el contexto local y la comunidad, e involucrarlos en el proceso de planificación y diseño a través de métodos participativos e inclusivos.
One major pitfall in transit-oriented development is the severe lack of last-mile connectivity. This is why some TOD projects fall short of expectations or are entirely inefficient because they are 2 miles away from centres of work or living (for example, the metro stations in Noida, India). In addition to our downright pedestrian-unfriendly metropolises, this lack of connectivity results in inadequate, unsafe and crowded auto-rickshaw transits that are mostly unregulated.
A major drawback of TOD projects is the neglect of local context and surroundings. Such projects are treated purely as an infrastructure problem rather than creating a holistic public environment, which sometimes becomes an eyesore. They tend to look out of place, almost hindering the city's image.
This mistake falls into the process called "gentrification", which ends up being perverse in two ways: Firstly, traditional residents are "expelled" and their ties to the area, including their sense of belonging, and placeholding. Second: popular opposition to great projects is fomented, with the population fearful of disrupting these rich neighborhood dynamics.
This was clearly written by ChatGPT (even paragraph sizes, identical paragraph structures, repetition of key phrases that sound unnatural, generic positioning) and suffers as a result. Would be nice to see something shorter and written by an urban design professional rather than AI.
Coordination: Get the stakeholders together to discuss their objectives. Design: Stations are hubs, not just stops. Design them for pedestrian flow, easy access, and a mix of uses like shops and cafes to create vibrant activity. Density & Diversity: TOD areas need a variety of housing types (apartments, townhouses) and a mix of businesses to cater to different needs and create a lively atmosphere. Public Space Afterthought: Parks, plazas, and green spaces are essential! Integrate them seamlessly from the start - to encourage walking, cycling, and community interaction. Don't ignore Pedestrians & Cyclists: Prioritize pedestrian walkways, bike lanes, and safe crossings to make getting around convenient and enjoyable.
Making the drywall and insulation of the living spaces sufficient to fend off bus/rail noise when it passes by so the tenants will renew
The comments u have read cover a variety of the issues; highlighting the fact that many variables are in play when designing for TOD. One thing that show because beginning point for all planning exercises is the value of case studies. See what works, has been economically successful in a reasonable timeframe and given similar area demographics, duplicate. Consider the ramping up cycle. Developers will not often invest in projects that don’t have a reasonable rate and schedule for return. Communities may need to subsidize. The 5-minute walk principle applies, along with mixed development in proper proportions. The project should both produce and attract transit based trips. Finally, think about connectivity at each trip end.
In countries with great inequality and stark differences in income distribution, a DOT project needs to start with some kind of affordability strategy
If any place in the country needs to incorporate TOD into its urban planning it is the “low-rise” city of Los Angeles. Lack of mass transit systems like subways and monorail is one of the “roadblocks!”