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The Transit and Development Tango - The Next Level
The classic diagram depicting transit oriented development and urban patterns oriented to transit shows high density development nodes around transit stations like so many pearls on a string.
Based on this notion the transit friendly city conference circuit swaps success stories about development at transit stations. Still, the reality on the ground mostly looks starkly different.
Railvolution (one of those conferences) participants will flock next week to Minneapolis and will, no doubt, ride the shiny train from the airport to downtown. What they will see are freeways, electric power stations and parking lots around stations, and when they do finally see a lot of cranes |
Minneapolis, Hiawatha (Blue) Line at Government Center
Only downtown has density around its stations
(photo: ArchPlan) |
promising development, it quickly becomes clear that the gigantic construction site seen on the right side of the train is for a new Viking stadium, a questionable transit oriented development (TOD) at best with the few games that football offers in one place. The new Link light rail from Seattle's SeaTac airport or Baltimore's BWI airport line offer a similar impression: not much going on around stations, until one finally reaches the core of the city. Pearls on a string, density? Hardly. Proponents of light rail and streetcars (two close relatives, distinguished with two different terms only in the US) are....Read full article -------------------------------------------
Nikolaus Philipsen FAIA
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
Baltimore MD
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