Transit-Oriented Housing On Track For Continued Growth

"Once a nice-to-have niche urban design concept, TOD has become an essential part of many urban neighborhoods. It has helped address the shortage of housing by enabling the development of higher-density residential communities near transit stations. It has helped revitalize countless once-deteriorating or static urban enclaves near transit hubs by activating sidewalks near the developments. And it has spurred walking and transit use, enabling residents of TODs to reduce or eliminate automobile dependency."

"National nonprofit Reconnecting America, which advocates for transit, reports latent demand for TOD could help usher in more than 860,000 homes situated near top-tier U.S. transit stations by 2030. A 2025 Regional Plan Association report called "Homes on Track" pointed to a direct relationship between access to high-frequency transit services and greater demand for neighborhood housing. And growing numbers of new residential communities are being marketed to prospective residents who plan to leave vehicular ownership behind for the prospect of transit-connected, walkable neighborhoods."

"Research has shown TODs occupy footprints covering less than 1% of city land, but lure more than one in five new regional jobs. A 25-year Texas study found TOD projects produced more than $18 billion in direct economic impact, spawned almost 5,300 jobs and generated more than $428 million in labor income in just the study's last two years. Living in TOD households is linked with $429 to $1,232 lower transportation costs yearly than in non-TOD homes, studies show."

Transit-oriented development has shifted from a niche design idea to a central urban strategy that enables higher-density housing near transit stations and reduces automobile dependence by encouraging walking and transit use. TOD revitalizes once-deteriorating urban enclaves and activates sidewalks while attracting residents who prefer transit-connected, walkable neighborhoods. Latent demand could support over 860,000 homes near top-tier U.S. transit stations by 2030, and high-frequency transit access correlates with greater housing demand. TODs occupy less than 1% of city land yet attract more than one in five new regional jobs and produce substantial economic and household transportation-cost savings.

Read at Forbes