Transit Oriented Development Institute

Washington, DC

Join industry leaders at this month's Transit Oriented Development and Urban Real Estate Conference in Washington, DC.

Get up to speed on the best practices of TOD development, design, financing, and place management. Network with industry leaders coming together to share experiences delivering the best TODs in America.

Washington DC is home to the most extensive number of successful and unique TOD projects in the nation, with millions of square feet more under construction. Special guided walking tours of the projects are included to see them up close and in action. Project developers, planners, architects, and managers will be on hand to share the development story.

There's still time to sponsor and exhibit your services during the conference with a tabletop, exhibit booth, or advertisement in the conference program book. Don't miss this historic and timely event! More info

Transit Oriented Development Conference

Discount ends tomorrow!

Transit Oriented Development Conference

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Transit Oriented Development Conference

Discount ends tomorrow!

Showcase your firm and its unique services to business and planning leaders at the Transit Oriented Development Conference next month in DC!

Learn Placemaking at TOD Conference

Learn the secrets of creating great places from those who deliver them. Learn how to create the next hot district at the TOD Conference!

Pike and Rose, strip center to urbanism!

Corporations are moving downtown, where the people want to be!

"Denver is building 119 miles of light rail and 70 new stations in a decade, creating huge development opportunities to make the region more livable and sustainable." -Reconnecting America

Washington DC is home to the most extensive and best transit oriented development in the nation, and has millions of square feet under construction throughout the district. More | Story

Washington DC leads the nation with TOD!

The TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE is a national planning initiative to promote and accelerate the roll-out of walkable, mixed-use communities around rail stations. Working to increase the supply of new TODs and rail systems, the TOD Institute brings together business and political leaders with experts to advance knowlege sharing and project dealmaking.

The Transit Oriented Development Institute is a project of the US High Speed Rail Association, America's leading advocate for the development of a 21st century, national rail system. The Transit Oriented Development Institute promotes increased TOD as well as high quality design standards that deliver the best results to the users, the community, the developers, and the rail systems.

The Transit Oriented Development Institute is run by a team of experts and leaders in rail, urban design, and real estate development.

In This Issue

TOD Conference

Conference Agenda

Highlighted Speakers

Learn TOD Placemaking

TOD Principles

Quick Links

Transit Oriented Development

TOD Conference

TOD Projects

TOD Books

TOD Reports & Guidelines

TOD Principles

National TOD Database

TOD Principles

The following 10 principles are general guidelines for planning TOD districts and neighborhoods. Densities, details, and design vary project by project depending on many factors including location, context, availability of redevelopment property, surrounding development, etc.

These 10 principles are a starting point for further work preparing specific local development plans working with the community. Examples of these plans are located on our 'Reports' page.

1. Put stations in locations with highest ridership potential and development opportunities
2. Designate 1/2 mile radius around station as higher density, mixed-use, walkable development
3. Create range of densities with highest at station, tapering down to existing neighborhoods
4. Design station site for seamless pedestrian connections to surrounding development
5. Create public plaza directly fronting one or more sides of the station building
6. Create retail and cafe streets leading to station entrances along main pedestrian connections
7. Reduce parking at station, site a block or two away, direct pedestrian flow along retail streets
8. Enhance multi-modal connections, making transfers easy, direct, and comfortable
9. Incorporate bikeshare, a comprehensive bikeway network, and large ride-in bike parking areas
10. Use station as catalyst for major redevelopment of area and great placemaking around station. More

Transportation

Key to laying the foundation for Transit Oriented Development, high quality rail systems encourage the development of compact, mixed-use, walkable communities. High speed rail is the backbone of a rail-based transportation system. When combined with regional rail, light rail, metro systems, and streetcars and trams, a complete and integrated rail network is achieved enabling easy, fast mobility throughout the system.

The rail network becomes the organizing framework for a series of TOD developments into the creation of entire neighborhoods surrounding the rail stations. A series of TOD neighborhoods emerge laid out like pearls along a string. These add up entire networks of walkable communities creating a highly livable, 21st century lifestyle for all.

By making the station and its surrounding development well integrated and pedestrian and bicycle friendly, the 'last mile' connections to local destinations are made easy. Walking and biking to the station becomes a major mode of choice by many.

Ideally, the rail station is located in the middle of downtown or town centers where many destinations are within a short walk or bike ride away. Walkable communities support rail systems by providing high ridership throughout the day, week, and weekend.

Sophisticated new city bike share programs serve the last mile best by making fast door-to-door connections easy with the ability to ride and drop off the bike almost anywhere. More

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