Best Practices

Core Values: Why American Companies are Moving Downtown

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This report examines the characteristics, motives, and preferences of companies that have either relocated, opened new offices, or expanded in walkable downtowns between 2010 and 2015. Smart Growth America partnered with global real estate advisors Cushman & Wakefield to identify nearly 500 companies that have made such a move in the past five years. Of … Continued

Creating Equitable, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities: Strategies for Advancing Smart Growth, Environmental Justice, and Equitable Development

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This publication highlights strategies and approaches that link smart growth, environmental justice, and equitable development. In Chapter 3, these strategies and approaches are grouped under seven common themes that unite the three concepts. The fundamental overlap between smart growth, environmental justice, and equitable development is how to plan and build neighborhoods to address environmental, health, … Continued

TOD 203 – Transit Corridors and TOD: Connecting the Dots

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Filled with real-world transit-oriented development lessons, the guidebook explains how corridor planning can facilitate not only successful transportation outcomes but also successful transit-oriented development. The guidebook defines three corridor types (destination connector, commuter, and district circulator) and identifies the different implications for TOD associated with each type of transit corridor. Putting the theory to work, … Continued

Somerville Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Strategy

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Reconnecting America worked with the Somerville Community Corporation to identify needs and opportunities for equitable transit-oriented development in the City of Somerville, with a focus on the planned extension of the Green Line. The report highlights demographic and real estate trends, and outlines a series of strategies for achieving mixed-income TOD.

TOD 204: Planning for TOD at the Regional Scale

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This guidebook, which includes case studies from around the country, focuses on regional planning for TOD, including the general framework and benefits, and eight strategies for successful regional TOD planning.

TOD 206: Intercity Rail and Transit-Oriented Development

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This booklet identifies some of the different steps cities and towns can take to create TOD around their intercity rail stations. It also offers some useful tools and examples of how cities of a range of sizes are utilizing their intercity rail stations to revitalize downtowns, preserve historic buildings, create connections to other forms of … Continued

TOD 202: Station Area Planning: How To Make Great Transit-Oriented Places

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This manual is intended to help with simplifying the complex decisions that surround planning for TOD projects and station areas by providing details about the scales of development likely to occur in different places, as well as station area planning principles and TOD plan checklists. The manual begins with a discussion of seven “TOD place … Continued

Defining Transit Areas of Influence

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This Recommended Practice describes the spatial areas in which transit stops and stations typically have the greatest impact on land use and development and from which there is high potential to generate transit ridership. It provides guidance on delineating these areas for the purposes of influencing decisions about private and public investments and services.