Platform: Building the New Transit Town
Hey ho, let's go, says Reconnecting America CEO Shelley Poticha, in the cover story about the growing national consensus that we need to rethink America's transportation investments. A separate article inside discusses the work of the Transportation for America coalition, which launched its Build for America initiative Oct. 15. In addition to a summary of recent news items, the newsletter also offers a look at recent and pending publications from Reconnecting America and Center for Transit-Oriented Development.
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Platform: Building the New Transit Town (Autumn 2006)
Shelley Poticha warns that it’s not enough just to build transit and expect that development will come; and, conversely, that developers should realize the extent to which they can leverage the public investment in transit: the lesson is that public-private ventures can realize benefits for all. Shelley and Gloria Ohland explain “Why streetcars and why now?” Gloria discusses how Denver’s TOD Strategic Plan is being used to prioritize TOD projects that can catalyze the market. And Mariia Zimmerman writes about the importance of creating and preserving diverse and equitable TOD.
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Platform: Building the New Transit Town (Summer 2006)
Shelley Poticha editorializes about the importance of accommodating households with a range of incomes in TOD, and the difficulty of doing so when there isn’t nearly enough land planned or zoned to meet market demand. Gloria Ohland documents TOD and value capture in Evanston, Illinois and along the Hudson Bergen light rail line in New Jersey. Diana Williams discusses the results of Reconnecting America’s working session in Dallas on best practices and a research agenda related to transit and urban form. Jane Jacobs is eulogized. And more …
Platform: Building the New Transit Town (Autumn 2005)
Shelley Poticha discusses lessons learned around the country about how the public sector can best “set the table” for TOD. Scott Bernstein and Carrie Makarewicz from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (a partner in the Center for TOD) discuss our Affordability Index, which calculates the sum of housing and transportation costs as a percent of income to show the savings that can result from living in transit-rich mixed-use communities. Gloria Ohland writes about how and where the private sector is helping finance new rail lines and stations. And more …
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Platform: Building the New Transit Town (Spring 2004)
Shelley Poticha asks why public funding used for transit and TOD is considered a “subsidy” rather than an “investment” when both create so much value. She recommends that public agencies start thinking more like the private sector and demand a return on their investment at the back end of projects. Gloria Ohland discusses the range of value-capture strategies that can be used by the public sector to get a return on their public investment. She also writes about the enormous significance of Denver’s Fastracks initiative that will result in the largest transit system expansion since Washington D.C.’s Metro system was build in the 1960s. And more …
Platform: Building the New Transit Town (Winter 2004)
In the first issue of Platform Hank Dittmar and Shelley Poticha introduce Reconnecting America’s Center for Transit-Oriented Development. Gloria Ohland discusses the extraordinary and unexpected success of TOD in auto-oriented Dallas.