Growth near transit outpaces regions, 2000-2010

Households grew faster in “transit sheds,” areas within a half-mile of fixed-guideway transit service, than metro regions as a whole from 2000-2010 in four of the five major US transit regions — New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco (see graph above). Only in Chicago did transit sheds grow but not outpace the region, according to a study by the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), “Transit-Oriented Development [TOD] in the Chicago Region,” released in April.

This graph is striking because it shows a strong pattern of household growth in denser, more walkable areas outside of downtown in these cities. In these cities, transit sheds tend to be largely developed — they don’t have vast amounts of greenfields like outer suburbs. Further, most of the last decade included a great deal of sprawl. Despite these barriers, transit sheds were repopulated through TOD and the reoccupation of older housing stock. This revitalization could go on for several decades, with advantages in existing infrastructure use, reduced driving, and reduced transportation costs for households. CNT argues that investment in transit sheds is essential for “the triple bottom line, or the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of th e Chicago Region.”

Note: the above article is in the June print issue of Better! Cities & Towns.