WCEL > Issues > Urban Growth and Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part 3 > Transit-Supportive Land Uses

Smart Bylaws Guide – Transit-Supportive Land Uses

Transit-supportive land use or transit-oriented development refers to zoning and policies that intensify land uses along transportation corridors.  These areas are designed for transit and non-motorized transportation, while also creating a vibrant mixed-use hub.  Transit-supportive land uses require a minimum of 25 residential units per hectare (10 units per acre) in residential areas and 70 employees per hectare (28 employees per acre) in commercial centres (see the Transportation Demand Management Encyclopedia chapter on Transit-Oriented Development).

Locations along existing and future transit lines are the logical places to encourage more intensive development because of the proximity to transit and commercial services. Transit area zoning can apply to specific transit hubs, corridors, or transit networks. These zones feature mixed-use, higher density developments that generate significant transit ridership (such as offices and apartments), and good pedestrian access. The proximity to transit, shops and other amenities means that many daily commercial needs can be met on foot, encouraging active transportation lifestyles.

A new market is expanding for walkable, mixed-use urban development around new rail or bus stations and transit stops. These developments significantly decrease household transportation expenses and help municipalities to make more efficient use of existing infrastructure.

It is important to note that transit-supportive development does not mean traditional low density suburban development patterns that are located adjacent to a transit hub.  As the authors of Transit Oriented Development: Moving from Rhetoric to Reality state, “transit-oriented development must be mixed-use, walkable, location-efficient development that balances the need for sufficient density to support convenient transit service with the scale of the adjacent community. The project strives to develop techniques to assure that transit-oriented development incorporates a range of income levels.”

Examples of Municipal Plans and Policies Promoting Transit-Supportive Land Uses:

Burnaby

Holdom Station Area Guide Plan

Consistent with OCP designations for the plan area, this guide plan provides a framework for the transformation of the Holdom Station Area into a urban village and business centre in support of the development of the new Millennium Skytrain station at the intersection of Holdom Avenue and Lougheed Highway. It envisions the replacement of lower density manufacturing, warehousing and distribution operations with higher density residential development and more intensive office, high-technology, specialized production and ancillary commercial uses. As a transition between the urban village and business centre, the land use concept includes an option to build live/work developments.  A commercial node will serve residents, business centre employees and transit users, creating a vibrant focal point for the area.

Brentwood Town Centre Development Plan

The Brentwood Town Centre is the designated town centre for the north-west sector of Burnaby. The town centre is intended to be a focus of higher-density and higher-intensity residential and commercial opportunities, public transit and supporting leisure facilities.  The revised town centre Development Plan is an important element in the City's response to transportation initiatives establishing the Lougheed Corridor for a light rapid transit (LRT) extension to Coquitlam as the next priority with its resultant opportunities for additional focused growth.

Coquitlam

Official Community Plan

2.3.1 Transit-Oriented Development (p.2-8)

Objective:

To develop Transit-Oriented Commercial Village Centres that offer multi-modal transportation choices featuring transit-, pedestrian-, and bicycle-friendly street design, but also accommodate vehicular access.

Policies:

1. Create a distinct Village Centre featuring a multi-modal transportation hub and strong civic identity through urban parks and squares.
2. Provide an interconnected street network throughout the neighbourhood to facilitate ease of walking and cycling and to enable a more efficient use of infrastructure.
3. Achieve tree-lined, safe pedestrian-friendly streets (i.e., buildings close to the street with windows, doors and porches of commercial, institutional, and residential uses oriented towards the street).
4. Provide compact development that contains a range of uses at medium to high densities within a ten-minute walk or a 400-metre radius from the multi-modal transit hub.

City of Portland, Oregon’s Light Rail Transit Station Zone

Gresham, Oregon’s Community Development Code, Corridor Districts (establishing maximum and minimum densities to assure that new development will support the transit corridor zones)

Pleasant Hill, California's rapid transit station Property Code and Architectural Standards that provide clear photos and graphics to show how the mixed-use zones will be developed

King County Transit Oriented Development Program

For More Information

Checklist Tool for Sustainability Planning  Transit Hubs:  Improving Amenities at Mass Transit Stations to Attract Users -  (Royal Roads University Sustainable Infrastructure Research)

Transit-Oriented Development: Using Public Transit to Create More Accessible and Liveable Neighbourhoods (Victoria Transport Policy Institute – Transportation Demand Management Encyclopedia)

Transit Oriented Development Advocate (case studies and resources)

Transit Oriented Development: Moving from Rhetoric to Reality (Brookings Institution)

Transport Canada Transport Demand Management Database (projects and policies from around the world)