TOD - Transit Oriented Development: a sustainable tool  towards smart living  

 Carmelina Bevilacqua  

Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy  e-mail: cbevilac@unirc.it  

 Francesco Cappellano  

Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy  e-mail: francesco.cappellano@unirc.it  

 Luciano Zingali  

Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy  e-mail: luciano.zingali@unirc.it  

 Abstract  The paper intents demonstrate how TOD (Transit Oriented development) can be considered as a Best practice towards smart and eco-friendly urban living. The research starts from the analysis of the main sustainable principles taken into account during the planning and implementation process of two TODs in US, and one in EU. Results prove how the correct management of TOD delivers a significative smart growth.    Keywords: Smart Growth, Public Transit, Community Development, Urban Regeneration, Urban Living,    Introduction    By definition, the TOD is a "mixed-use community, that encourages people to live near transit services and to decrease dependence on their driving" (Still 2002, Bernick and Cervero 1997), and also the practice of developing or intensive residential land use near rail stations and housing, along with complementary public uses, jobs, retail and services, are concentrated in mixed-use developments at strategic points along the regional transit systems (Calthorpe 1993, Boarnet and Crane 1998, Salvensen 1996). The aim of the work is to demonstrate whether Transit Oriented Development might be considered a tool toward Smart Growth. In Making Smarth Growth Work, Porter states “Smart Growth calls for building communities that are more hospitable, productive, and physically and environmentally responsible than most of the communities that have been developed in the last century...[It] seek to identify a common ground where developers, environmentalist, public officials, citizens, and others can all find acceptable ways to accommodate growth (Porter 2002, p.1)”. Porter describes six key principles of smart growth:  

ü Compact, multiuse development;  ü Open-space conservation;  ü Expanded mobility;  ü Enhanced livability;  ü Efficient management and expansion of infrastructure;  ü Infill, redevelopment, and adaptive reuse in built-up areas .  

TOD has recently become a popular tool to promote Smart Growth because it have been hailed as a model for integrating land use with transportation in the interest of smart growth (Calthorpe, 1993; Cervero, 1998; Newman and Kenworthy, 1999; Renne and Newman, 2002; Renne and Wells, 2004). According to Cervero et al., “TOD has gained currency in the United States as a means of promoting smart growth, injecting vitality into declining inner-city settings, and expanding lifestyle choices” (2004, 3). The New Transit Town: Best Practices in Transit-Oriented Development (Dittmar and Ohland, 2004) states that TOD is an essential part of the healthy growth and development of regional economies.  

 Executive Summary    The paper investigates three TOD study cases:    Name of the TOD project   Venue  Assembly Row   Sommerville, Boston,Massachussetts, USA  Imperial/Commercial Corridor   San Diego, California, USA  Extension Metro Line B   San Basilio, Rome, ITALY    These study cases have been chosen since they have been studied within the research program CLUDs project under 7FP Irses 2010. The analysis of the case studies has been conducted with a primarily qualitative methodology, based on direct questions to whose we tried to answer about different study cases. We have identified four main policy areas: transportation, health, land value and social inclusion. Those areas reflect the “three E”s approach which constitute the three main pillars of the sustainable development. For each policy area (table 1), we identified the following questions:    Table1  Policy Area   Question  Transportation   Will study cases improve the condition of transit services?  Land Value   Have projects been influenced by “transit premium”? How?  

In Public-Private Partnership beyond TOD which sector gain what?  Health   Do projects ensure the goal to create walkable and livable urban

environment?  Social Inclusion   Which degree of participation has been guaranteed to residents?  

Might it be expected gentrification in study cases?      Environment: Transportation Benefit    During the last UN General assembly, “the importance of the efficient movement of people and goods and access to environmentally sound, safe and affordable transportation as a means to improve social equity, health, resilience of cities, urban-rural linkages and productivity of rural areas” was pointed out. Moreover the “support of the development of sustainable transport systems, including energy-efficient multimodal transport systems, notably public mass transportation systems, clean fuels and vehicles, as well as improved transportation systems in rural areas” is underlined. Several scholars resumed general benefits of transit, as showed below:    Enviromental Benefits Fiscal Benefits Social Benefits  - Reduced traffic congestion - Reduced road and parking facility cost - Improved social cohesion through positive  - Reduced fuel consumption - Economic development benefits through interactions among people in a community  - Better air quality increased productivity - Improved access to job opportunities for  - Reduced sprawl - Increased property values workers, fitness and heath  - Conservation of open space - Increased property tax revenues - Neighborhood revitalization      Looking at the benefits of mobility, reduced congestion, and higher property values for the U.S. overall, Lewis concluded that for each $1 invested in transit services, the public realizes $5 in cash savings (Lewis, 1999). Although improving public transit in order to reduce fossil fuel consumption has been worldwide accepted as one of the most urgent goals towards sustainable horizon, still in US 76,4% of commuters drive to work alone by private car (RITA, 2011). Although that said, there are a

lot of efforts to tackle towards a largely used and worldwide distributed efficient transit systems and services. Indeed, transport currently accounts for half of global oil consumption and nearly 20% of world energy use, of which around 40% is used in urban transport alone. Below it is showed how states and nations related to the study cases are facing transit issues. According to US Census 2012, although US transit operating systems are decreasing (-6,5%) as well as Motor bus ones (-1,9%), the amount of vehicle-miles operated grew (+0,28%). In Boston 76,3 directional route miles are operated by Heavy rail every year while 737,5 are delivered by Commuter Rail. In San Diego every year 82,2 are provided by Commuter Rail. In Boston Annual unlinked passenger trips are estimated about 375.540 thousands, of those 28,8% are provided by Motor bus, 39,6% by Heavy Rail, 18,8 by Light Rail and 10,9% by Commuter Rail. In San Diego 106.735 thousands of Annual unlinked passenger trips are calculated to be shared among Motor Bus (59,3%), Light Rail (36,7%) and Commuter Rail (1,4%). According to ISTAT data, in Italy Public Transit Supply decreases: -3,9% transit seat-km per capita delivered , -5,4% only for Motor Bus. For what concerns Italian Subways, their density grew (+7,3%) stations' density as well (+6,7%) as general “transit seat-km per capita” offered (+1,0%). The sum of transit supply in Italian capital cities of provinces is estimated about 4685 Transit Seat-km per Capita in average. It decreased by what registered in 2010 (-3,9%). Among the cities able to offer more than 4000 transit seat-km per Capita there is Rome. The Italian Capital counts 3,7 Subways stops per 100 skm. In Rome 14.572.067 Transit seat-km per Capita are provided every year by Commuter Rails. In 2011, 331.598.830 unlinked Annual passengers were moved by Rome Subways and 50.760.094 by “Ferrovie Concesse” Light Rails.  Our purpose is to investigate whether study-case projects improve the conditions of transit services.  - In the study-case concerning Rome, the intervention comprises the extension of Subway Line B. The track will be built totally underground for km 3,8 long. Along the line the building of 2 stations, San Basilio and Torraccia/Casal Monastero, is expected. The latter represents the terminus of line B and takes its name from the two neighboring quarters. Just in the area outside the GRA1, an underground depot for trains is going to be built. On the ground, differently, a large car-parking will be built, including a bus station. The biggest inter-regional and international bus lines which today get to Tiburtina Rome Station, will stop there. The principal aims of the intervention are:  

ü to let the extra-regional lines stop in area of interest as, up to now, they pierce the GRA area to get to the Terminus in Tiburtina;  

ü to drain the vehicle traffic permitting the road-railway frog, outside the GRA;  ü to drain the daily traffic jams in Via Nomentana e Via Tiburtina;  ü to re-qualify the areas in San Basilio and Torraccia, offering a territorial inclusion, which is

partial, at the moment;  ü to serve the industrial area of “Centrale del Latte”.  

- In Boston, a new MBTA2 Orange Line station is planned for the area between Wellington and Sullivan Square to provide regional transit access and an alternative to auto traffic for those traveling to and from Assembly Square. A preliminary feasibility study was conducted to examine the interval distances between stations along the Orange Line. The results show that adding a new Station within the Assembly Square area is feasible in terms of the issue of appropriate interval distance between stations.  - In San Diego, the intention of the Imperial/Commercial Corridor Preferred Plan is to create a multi-modal circulation system that supports the safe and efficient movement of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, and vehicles. Circulation Plan includes the following:  

ü A new 28th Street trolley stop was a popular idea among community members as a way to improve access to and ridership on the Orange Line. The Project Working Group and other community members will need to weigh the benefits and drawbacks to determine if the idea should continue to be supported.  

ü A proposed north-south bus transit route complements the east-west trolley lines to improve access to destinations north and south of the corridor, not just east and west to and from Downtown.  

                                                                                                               1 GRA, Grande Raccordo Anulare represent the freeway ring around Rome  2 MBTA-Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority  

ü New bicycle routes and lanes are intended to minimize the conflicts between cyclists and vehicles and encourage bike riding.  

ü Vehicle circulation and parking is also accommodated, through street-scape designs and traffic calming policies, such as bike lanes and enhanced crosswalks, which seek to minimize conflicts and encourage use of alternate modes.  

ü Finally, improvements to sidewalks and street-scapes, including constructing sidewalks where missing and adding street trees and lighting, seek to enhance the safety and comfort of pedestrians.  

 Environment: pedestrian and cycling benefit    Peter Calthorpe pointed out how a walkable environment may represent the key aspect of Transit Oriented Development. Placing local retail,parks,day care,civic services, and the transit stop at the center of a TOD reinforces the opportunity to walk or bike for many errands, as well as to combine a trip to transit with other stops. According to Kerr, the design of the physical environment in which older adults live and the level of access to transit service determines the level of accessibility they have to destinations such as shops, services, and places to recreate. When supportive features are prominent in places where older adults live, they can remain active and independent. Older adults are an increasing proportion of the population and the demand for walkable places is likely to grow significantly among this age cohort. Planners should be prepared to respond with design solutions that will make destinations safely accessible on foot or by transit for this rapidly growing segment of the population. As many scholars investigated, aspects of the physical environment in and around older people’s homes may represent a greater constraint on activities than for other adult age groups and the environment can become a limiting factor on people’s mobility (their physical ability to undertake everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, etc) as their functional capabilities change in old age. A built environment that makes it easy and enjoyable to be active outdoors is therefore contributing to the quality of life in multiple ways. Such a supportive built environment has been shown to be a significant predictor of older people’s walking activity, beyond factors of age, sex, socio-economic status or living arrangement. By a research held by Pew Research Center “How Our Cities Are Shaping Us: Urban Sprawl And Its Impact On Our Health”, we can note how:  

ü 71% of dads whose babies were going to school,during their childhood, were walking or cycling. Nowadays just 18% are doing that  

ü A person living in US cities' suburbs weights in average, 3 kilos more than a person living in a compact city  

ü The probabilities that a person may suffer high blood pressure are 29% lower among people living in compact city  

ü 65% of US population is overweight, almost 1 person on 3 are obese persons. During the last 25 years, the rate of obese kids, from 6 to 11 years old, doubled,whereas the rate of obese teens grew more than three times  

- In Rome, no important infrastructure for pedestrian is expected so the distance from the existent neighborhoods to the new stations will not consent the creation of a walkable and livable urban environment.  - In San Diego study case, the focus for street-scape improvements is on Imperial Avenue since most new development will be located on this street. Most of Commercial Street will retain its industrial uses and character, so redevelopment is not anticipated along most of the corridor in the short term. Still, around the trolley stops, where higher intensity mixed-use development is proposed, street-scape improvements will be prioritized and should proceed in tandem with redevelopment.  Currently, Imperial Avenue maintains a mix of small business and residential land uses, with generally one and two story building heights. Is possible to affirm that the project is going to ensure a walkable and livable urban development.  - In Boston, off-site roadway, utility, pedestrian, stormwater, landscaping, lighting and public parks improvements will complement substantial on-site infrastructure including an urban grid street network and a series of parks and landscaped plazas.    

Economic: Land value and its effects in transit oriented development    Since 1826, the relationship between transit and yields on property in an effort to quantify the property value premium was pointed out by Johann Heinrich von Thunen. He pursued the theory that the accessibility benefits resulting from improved transit are capitalized into property values. According to Allen, a 1986 value capture study of heavy rail examined the commute cost savings in annual dollars for households within two miles of the Lindenwold Station in southern New Jersey. Another study concluded that the total benefits of reduced wait times as a result of transit in the New York metropolitan area equaled $ 3,7 billion per year. (CTOD, 2008). According to the APTA, individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can save, on average, more than $848 monthly, and $10,181 annually. Boston and San Diego are ranked among the top 20 US cities with the highest public transit ridership considering their transit savings regarding the purchase of a monthly public transit pass. According to K. Wardrip, some studies (Chen, Hong, A, Rufolo, K. J. Dueker, 1998) have found evidence that homes located too close suffer “negative transit premium”, due to the nuisance effects of the rail. In general, evidence of nuisance effects is inconclusive (Parsons Brinckerhoff 2001). Several scholars provided different responses among the quantitative estimations about “transit premium”. Since this research is qualitative-oriented, our aim is to investigate in study-cases what “transit premium” determined and whether these projects have been influenced by “transit premiums”. According to Realtor, public transit can increase the development potential of real estate near high-capacity transit lines and stations, and thereby increase property values. This “transit premium” can range from as little a little percent increase to over 150 percent. The amount depends largely on the local regulatory environment, regional connections, and national and regional economics. The introduction of transit is likely to result in increased property values for existing property owners, particularly land uses that can benefit from increased access, such as office or residential. The impact of transit is expected to begin when public discussion of a new transit begins,or when a new transit project is first announced. On the day the transit opens ,most of the value inherent in the increased accessibility provided by transit is realized. Other factors might increase the desirability of locating near the transit station such as station access improvements, pedestrian-friendly design. Separating the land value from the structure vale, it is clear that the “transit premium” belong to the first category. (CTOD,2008) It might produce immediate benefit, in most cases for rents, but it may also be in a longer term just because the land value increased independently on which structure is. In future, the same land could be affected by more intensive use, realizing the benefit. Often, the greatest opportunities to both create and capture value are actually related to new development. This is quite obvious, given that the new development near a station can be designed to take advantage of the benefits of transit, and consequently to maximize the value that can be captured by a developer, the public sector or both. (CTOD,2008). Achieving the potential for this increased value of property also generally requires more complex building, mixed-use projects at higher densities, which entails higher costs of development and higher risks. Developers will be more likely to take on those risks if other transit-oriented development projects in the city have already succeeded. Unbridled, subsidized development in suburban and rural areas around a transit city also prevents transit stations from enhancing property values.  - In the case of Boston, the new MBTA Sub-way station improved the marketability of a new residential units, office space and other property types, and result in higher revenues. Indeed, the revised Preliminary Master plan calls for the redevelopment of 56.2 acres of former industrial land into a mixed use, transit oriented neighborhood. “Assembly Row”, is permitted to create new office space (1,75 M sf), retail (852,000 sf),hotel and new residential units (2,100). Such forecasting testify that the idea that transit-based influences on land price seem to co-vary with development densities: as one rises,so does the other. (K. Bartholomew, R. Ewing, 2011). New development near transit can target demand for uses such as housing or office, and generate higher revenues because proximity to transit is an amenity that people are willing to pay for in the form of higher sales prices or rents. (CTOD, 2008) In fact, the analysis and projections are based on two Bond Phases. The proposed phasing of Project Components and Proposed Infrastructure Improvements is coordinated, so that when taking into account construction period revenues, New State Tax Revenues resulting from contributing Project Components are projected to provide Debt Service coverage sufficient to achieve 1.5x or greater Debt Service Coverage for the Bonds proposed for issuance. Upon occupancy, New

State Tax Revenues resulting from Development Phase IKEA are projected to achieve the required 1.5x Debt Service Coverage for the First Bond Phase, which will support Public Infrastructure Improvements that coincide with the development of the IKEA Commercial Component in Development Phase IKEA. In the same way, it worked for the Second Bond Phase. Over the life of the District, the full buildout program in the proposed Economic Development District is projected to generate substantial New State Tax Revenues to the Commonwealth over and above the Debt Service obligations proposed. However, the Project will leverage substantial private investment in Public Infrastructure Improvements, in addition to secured and anticipated federal, state (I-Cubed) and local funding. This proves the theory that TOD may promote partnerships between the private and public sectors that results in a direct subsidy for the project and/or other beneficial neighborhood investments. (CTOD, 2008). Public transit, off-site roadway, utility, pedestrian, stormwater, landscaping, lighting and public parks improvements will complement substantial on-site infrastructure including an urban grid street network and a series of parks and landscaped plazas.  - the study case of Rome shows very clearly that the introduction of transit can make valuable new sites available for development. Indeed, the construction of a new transit line can lead to new infill development opportunities. (CTOD,2008). Here, the project economic coverage follows a project financing experiment with “value capture” obtainable through the estate valorization of six areas indicated by the City, subject to the city planning variation of current P.R.G3. Limitations. On them, the Developer, identified by means of a call for bids, will be allowed to build development to sell to a third party for the economic return of the operation. In the areas close to new Subway Stations, the City specifies that the interventions, as resulting from the forecasting of Metro B s.r.l., will produce flats in 6-storied blocks (40,000 sm), shops (10,000 sm), green areas (14,133 sm), public parking area (6,637 sm), underground parking area (20,000 sm). Among all areas, where the Developer will be allowed to build, it is expected that a total amount of 252,900 sm for Residential use and 105,100 sm for not Residential use will be built. No other public infrastructure is expected by the project.  - Regarding San Diego study case, the table (table 2) below describes costs, proceeds from the sale or rent of residential units, and the resulting residual land value. Due to relatively low construction costs for the duplex units and the market sale price and rental price for residential units ($231,000 and $1,700, respectively), the residual land value is positive. Specifically, the residual value is estimated at $66,000 and $52,000 for sale and for rent, respectively (or $9 and $7 per square foot, not shown). This positive value suggests that development may be feasible, but only if land can be acquired at or below these rates and no site contamination clean-up is needed. This demonstrates that Transit can help to improve the financial feasibility of higher-density development. Since the cost of land has been historically higher—in fact, comparable land prices for the area since 2008 suggest an average of $45 per square foot—additional subsidy may be needed for the project to be constructed actually.    Table 2. Residential Building Prototype Feasibility  Category   Total Amount   Per Unit Amount  A. Total Cost (excluding land)   $1.139,000   $189,833  For sale   B. Net Sales Proceeds   Residual Land Value (B-A)    

 $1,205,000  

$66,000  

 $200,833  

$11,000  

For Rent   C. Net Scheduled Rental Income   Residual Land Value (C-A)  

 $1.191,000  

$52,000  

 $198,500  

$8,667  Source: "Commercial Street and Imperial Avenue Corridor Master Plan-Financial Feasibility Analisys". Keyser Marston Associates, 2011.    Still, it should be noted that the Commercial Street and Imperial Avenue Corridor Master Plan is a long-term plan. Although the housing market will need to rebound and see substantial changes to market pricing in order to produce healthy residual land values, there are strong fundamentals

                                                                                                               3    PRG-Piano Regolatore Generale is a major italian zoning instrument  

supporting attached housing development in infill locations throughout Central San Diego. Scarcity of land, rising housing costs, and the increase in non-family households will continue to generate demand for townhomes, condominiums, and apartments. In addition, the proximity to Downtown San Diego and its amenities and employment opportunities may further generate demand within the corridor.    Equity: Social Inclusion    In the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development (UN, 1995, chap. I, resolution 1, annex II), held in Copenhagen in 1995, inclusive society was defined as “‘a society for all’, in which every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play” (para. 66). The goal of social inclusion is not an abstraction; its achievement is vital in today’s political climate. Building around transport hubs mitigates against the emergence of disadvantaged ‘fringe suburbs’, where low-density housing is isolated from urban and suburban economic centers and residents are vulnerable to higher oil prices and interest rates.  Our attempts are to investigate whether these projects generate unequal phenomena such as gentrification either displacement. We seek to determine which degree of participation has been ensured to residents and to the citizenry in general.    The shadow of the “gentrification”    As said, land prices might rise in transit-oriented communities due to the direct effect that residents of such communities now have a lower cost of traveling to the city center. (Kahn,2007; K. Bartholomew, R. Ewing, 2011; Bajc,1983; Ferrell,1985). Since it appears evident that TOD might improve “walkability” skills of the neighborhoods as well as increasing land value,it is more likely that older and upper income might choose as the place where to live in. In one hand, the urban poor are less likely to own cars and thus place a greater value on rail access. (Kahn,2007) In the opposite hand, if the rich have a higher marginal utility for living in richer communities, this multiplier effect will feed on itself (Bayer, Ferreira and McMillan 2005). The phenomena “Gentrification” might be described as a neighborhood change process characterized by increasing property values and incomes. One force going against the gentrification trend is the quality of the housing stock. If the rich have a strong taste for new, large housing and if the communities treated with a “Walk and Ride” stations have old, small housing then the rich will be less likely to move in (Bond and Coulson 1989).  - In the case of Rome, the quality of building as well as the urban fabric value is very low so the risk of gentrification or displacement is less likely to happen.  - In Boston, since there was no population resident before the project “Assembly Row” took place, it will not be possible to note any form of gentrification or displacement. Indeed the buildout of the project will foster to attract new residents.  - In San Diego it is likely to forecast some form of gentrification, since the project will be carried out in the downtown. In fact, the land value will benefit from new Trolley stop and it will raise its value, determining a raising of rents.    Participation    To evaluate this issue we shared the typology of eight levels of participation by S. Arnstein. Between participation and “non participation” three main levels are identified: Citizen Power, Tokenism and “Non Participation”.  The latter represents what have been by some to substitute for genuine participation. Its real objective is not to enable people to participate in planning or conducting programs, but to allow powerholders to “educate” and “cure” the participants.  - This is what we observed in Rome. From interviews submitted to local associations, during the planning stage, associates were summoned and received by the City just after the approval of the project that had won the contract. Despite of the efforts the territory associations to obtain participation in public hearing just recently Mobility Department of the City has agreed to their requests, although partially. Finally on 20.09.2011, the associations were summoned to examine the

winner project. The same associations were admitted at further “Conferenze dei Servizi”4 meeting just as listeners.  - In Boston, the internationally known Swedish home furnishings store purchased two former industrial sites on the Mystic River waterfront. IKEA obtained permits for its proposed retail store; however, the permits were challenged in court by community members opposed to a "big box" use on the waterfront, with the result that redevelopment of the site was stalled for a number of years. Although the voice of community members was take into account this degree of process might be tagged as “consultation”, described by S. Arnstein, as when citizens are proffered by powerholders as the total extent of participation, citizens may indeed hear and be heard. But citizens lack the power to insure that their views will be heeded by the powerful. When participation is restricted to this levels, there is no assurance of changing the status quo. At the beginning of 2000, the City initiated an extensive public planning process, producing the "2000 Planning Study" which set out a new vision for Assembly Square as a 24-hour, mixed use district with residential, retail, office, cinema, restaurant, hotel, and recreational open space uses. This shift might be translated into the shift to the upper step of S.Arnstein diagram, labeled “Citizen Power” with increasing degrees of decision-making clout.  - In San Diego, Preparation of the Commercial/Imperial Master Plan is proceeding with an integrated community outreach and technical process. Through the planning process, community members are being offered a variety of opportunities to help develop a vision and plan for the corridor that reflects community’s most important values and priorities. Outreach activities include an advisory committee (the Project Working Group), community workshops (the subject of this report), community character survey. This project is arranged in four phases. Community outreach activities are an integral part of the process, with workshops and/or working group meetings held in each phase. The first phase included a community visioning process that explored aspirations for the corridor and concerns to be addressed in the Master Plan, those were synthesized into a vision statement and set of guiding principles. This vision served as a basis for the development of alternatives in the second phase of the project. Three alternative land use concepts were prepared that presented a range of options to guide future development in the corridor while striving to meet the community vision and guiding principles. The Project Working Group reviewed these alternatives and provided feedback on their preferences and priorities. This feedback informed preparation of the draft preferred plan: a combination of the favored elements from the three alternatives presented. The purpose of these workshops was to give interested members of the public an opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on the emerging concepts for the Commercial/Imperial Corridor Master Plan. The objectives of the workshop were to present and refine the emerging preferred plan and develop policies to achieve the community vision and guiding principles. Participants reinforced many of the desires and issues described in the vision statement and guiding principles.    Conclusion  

                                                                                                               4Conferenza dei Servizi is a public meeting where all potential interested stakeholder together with citizens and institutional bodies discuss about the project  

Policy Area Questions Study-Case

Rome Sommerville, Boston San Diego

Transportation Will study cases improve the condition of transit services?

The benefit for the public transit will be significant due to the introduction of Metro Line, and the construction of gateway freeway-metro line, it is expected a huge decrease of VTM and consequentially a lower CO2 emissions in that area. That should ensure evident improvements of environmental conditions. Beside that, new infill

Although the new MBTA station will ensure the accessibility to Assembly Square by public transit,it is expected that new population will generate a considerable VTM quantity in comparison with the former land use.

The buildout of the Preferred Plan is projected to generate 5,800 new VTM, including 480 and 600 new trips in the AM and PM peak hours, respectively. This represents a 16 percent increase of daily trips and a slightly higher increase during peak hours (17%-19%). The intervention will not bring infrastructural improvement but it may affect public service positively through the construction of new trolley stop

 Acknowledgements    This presentation is part of the activities of the CLUDs Research Program, based on the framework of the EU IRSES MARIE CURIE 7FP. The research is being led by PAU – Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria (Italy) and the participants are: FOCUS-University La Sapienza of Rome (Italy), SOBE-University of Salford (UK), Aalto University (Finland), Northeastern University of Boston (USA), San Diego State University (USA).  

developments will be all close to existing either new Metro Stations,so that the generation of new VTM due to the new population is not likely to be so high.

on existing railroad.

Health Do project ensure the goal to create walkable and livable urban environment?  

No  infrastructural  improvements  are  expected  to  achieve  the  goal  to  create  walkable  and  livable  community.  

The  project  will improve the conditions of street-scape design, by means of new paths,plazas and parks. Those projects will meet the goal whispered by UN General Assembly which recognized the “importance of mixed-use planning and of encouraging non-motorized mobility, including by promoting pedestrian and cycling infrastructures.  

The  project  will improve conditions of street-scape design, by means of new paths,plazas and parks. Those projects will meet the goal whispered by UN General Assembly which recognized the “importance of mixed-use planning and of encouraging non-motorized mobility, including by promoting pedestrian and cycling infrastructures.  

Land  Value Have projects been influenced by “transit premium”? How?  

The  extension  of  Metro  Line  led  to  new  infill  development  along  Tiburtina    route  and  made  new  sites  for  development  valuable.  Transit  promoted  partnership    between  the  private  and  public  sectors.  

The  new  MBTA  Subway  station  togheter  with  public  infrastructural  improvements  improved  the  marketability  of  a  new  residential  units.  Transit  promoted  partnership    between  the  private  and  public  sectors.  

Transit  helped  to  improve  the  financial  feasibility  of  higher-­‐density  development.  It  made  possible.  Transit  promoted  partnership    between  the  private  and  public  sectors.  

  In Public-Private Partnership beyond TOD which sector gain what?  

Only  private sector will get huge advantage. In fact, beside the extension of Metro Line no other important public infrastructures are expected. On the other hand, the Developer will profit from new developments and it will get back part of the investment by public sector. Indeed, the total estimated expenditure is 556 M €. The total amount of money will be sustained by the Developer, except for 167 M € of Public Funding

It is expected that the strategy will ensure a “win-win” result. Both private and public may profit. Communities will get new infrastructure, including waterfront,park, plazas and Transit station. Public sector will get back funds by means TIF. And through the massive job creation that project will bring. Private sector will gain by means of the new developments.

It does not look clear the terms of the partnership. So it is not possible to predict who will profit what.  

Social  Inclusion Which degree of participation has been guaranteed to residents?

The lack of participation is evident and it is likely generate to demonstrations since citizens could not express their opinion within the planning process

The citizens' voice, refuse to the IKEA big box proposal, has been taken in account by the City which further started a participatory planning process.

San Diego project is the one who guaranteed the highest degree of participation to the citizens by means of community-led approach  

In study cases might gentrification be expected?

The low quality of the dwellings next to the new station is likely to prevent raising structure value and consequentially displacement and gentrification, as well

since there was no population resident before the project “Assembly Row” took place, it will not be possible to note any form of gentrification or displacement. Indeed the buildout of the project will foster to attract new residents.

In San Diego it is likely to forecast some form of gentrification, since the project will be carried out in the downtown. In fact, the land value will benefit from new Trolley stop and it will raise its value, determining a raising of rents.  

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