What is TOD?
TOD stands for Transit Oriented Development. It describes places designed to benefit from, and support investment in enhanced public transportation or transit service. However, TOD is more than just transportation. With TOD, transportation acts like a magnet and attracts other daily needs and activities to the area, creating an environment suited for people. Although TODs vary widely by area and character of development, they share many of the following characteristics:
- Walkable & Connected - TODs encourage walking, with pedestrian-friendly streets and public spaces, buildings oriented to sidewalks, and areas designed to foster a sense of place. These are places with many travel choices, from local and regional transit, private cars, and delivery vehicles, to last-mile mobility like bike share, car share, and emerging forms of micro-mobility (scooters).
- Dense & Diverse - TODs include density in housing, retail and services, employment, entertainment, and civic uses. This diversity in uses creates environments that meet changing markets, increase area resiliency, expand access to walkable destinations, and leverage public investment in transportation.
- Context Sensitive - TOD is not one size fits all. These projects are unique to the neighborhoods they serve with a scale and intensity based on location and context. They offer uses to serve community needs and advance local objectives for place-making, community building, economic development, and neighborhood improvement.