step-by-step workbook

Transcription

1 future investment in TOD step-by-step workbook

2 introduction A Tool For TOD Transit Oriented Development. TOD. It is an acronym (and a development concept) that is often spoken but seldom accomplished in Southwestern Pennsylvania. While TOD is not new, it has become in vogue as a development method to jump-start community revitalization. It takes advantage of some basic principles like integrating pedestrian scale development and transit with land use, and utilizing community assets like rail stations, transfer centers or major bus stops to initiate development. Although TOD is implemented routinely in places like Oregon and California, it s just starting to catch-on here in our region. objective This tool is for municipalities, planners, community development organizations, transit agencies, private developers or anyone considering whether Transit Oriented Development is an effective method for planning and developing sites around transit or transit station areas. The application will help to identify whether a site is suitable for TOD and to determine potential land use strategies to achieve TOD. By utilizing this tool, important data related to demographics and density will be attained. This data can be used to determine the potential of TOD, develop a framework for site planning and identify potential pitfalls. There have been few, if any, studies that resulted in a how to guide to implement TOD at a local level. However recently, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) completed a project called Region-Specific Success Factors for the Implementation of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Transit Revitalization Investment Districts (TRID) that identified the unique factors that make TOD successful in our region. The Study s strategy focused on gathering data and gaining knowledge of how TOD previously occurred along our region s bus, light rail and commuter rail lines. The intention was to identify common success factors and the degrees to which those factors influence TOD in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The result is success factors that have been quantified into indicators that can be applied to candidate sites to determine a particular TOD s potential or land use strategy. One of the outcomes of SPC s effort is this guide entitled Future Investment in TOD (FIT). It is a tool that describes how to apply the TOD success indicators to a potential site in order to determine whether that particular site is conducive to TOD. So, if there are undeveloped or underutilized properties in your community and you are wondering whether Transit Oriented Development is a viable method for your community s revitalization, application of the TOD success indicators will provide the answer.

3 TABLE 1 Does Your Site Have... 8 YES NO TOD worksheet Data & Notes TOD Site 1 Urban? Edge? Commuter? Connectivity 2 Transit service infrastructure? Safe, convenient, accessibility to transit? Pedestrian amenities? Bike lanes and amenities? 3 People and housing? A growing population? Zoning districts? Applied zones? Mixed land uses? Economic Drivers Diverse local employer base? Nearby regional employment center? Local market driven retail & housing? Demographic diversity? Users Customers 5 Singles? Families? Seniors? Professionals? Students? Developers Investors 6 Unsolicited developer interest? Local institution interest? Planning agency interest? Public Agencies 7 Local? Transit Agency? State? Federal?

4 framework Step 1: The Ingredients of TOD 2 If you are reading this guide you probably have a site or location in mind that you are considering for Transit Oriented Development or at least wondering whether the site has TOD potential. To help advance those thoughts or refine your current planning efforts, start considering your site in context with the TOD framework that was developed as part of SPC s Study. The Framework and an explanation of the Framework s factors are provided below. Factors 2 Connectivity (To, From & Within) Transit Availabilty Dedicated Service Cross Service Accessible Reliable Safe Convenient Pedestrian Amenities Biking Cross Walks Way-finding Parking Distance Scale Price Shared Sense of Place Origin Destination Activity Center Importance of Place Contextual Design 3 People Housing Units Population Growth Diverse Zoning Options Integrated Mixed-Use FIGURE 1 transit-oriented development success factor framework Types of Sites U E C Urban Edge Commuter 1 TOD Site Transit s Potential Role Drive Influence Support U E C Constituents 5 Users Customers Students Professionals Singles Families Seniors 6 Developers Investors Private Developers Demands and Goals Institutions Education Foundation Financial Public Agencies Authorities Permitting Approvals Economic Drivers Existing Multiple Industry Economic Diversity Existing Market Driven Retail and Housing Demographic Diversity Talent 7 Public Agencies Transit Authorities Local Regional State Federal

5 worksheet Step 2: Identifying Your Site s Factors It was found, during SPC s Study, that successful TOD sites have a variety of factors and constituents in common. Those are: 1 TOD Site The region s viable TODs were classified into three site types: 1) Urban or sites located in close proximity to the regional economic activity center; 2) Edge or sites considered suburban in their proximity to the economic activity center; and 3) Commuter or sites located remotely or regionally from the economic activity center. In each site type, transit appears to have varying degrees or roles in the overall success of the development associated with the site. Transit is more likely to: 1) Drive development in the case of an Urban Site; 2) Influence development in the case of an Edge Site; and 3) Support development in the case of a Commuter Site. 2 Connectivity SPC s study sites not only had transit service but they had fixed guideway service like a light rail line or a busway located either adjacent to the site, nearby the site, or able to be accessed from the site. In addition to the mainline bus or rail fixed guideway service, cross connecting routes that feed into the mainline services were also present at the model TOD sites. For example, at the Urban TOD site north/south bus routes from local neighborhoods feed into the East Busway creating pedestrian activity from the transfers that occur there. These model TOD sites exhibited accessible, reliable, safe and convenient pedestrian connections to the transit services and had amenities like signalized cross walks, signage and bike racks. Each of the model sites scored above an 85 out of 100 points on the on-line walk-ability tool at which was used to gauge the pedestrian friendliness of the TOD study areas. Successful TOD sites had shared-use parking or dedicated park-n-ride lots located within reasonable walking distance to transit. All of the sites themselves were activity centers that people from other places visited or shopped or worked. 3 The model TODs all demonstrated a high concentration of housing, jobs and people within the site areas, supporting the concept of life activity or the potential for different types of round-the-clock happenings. Sites consisted of multiple zoning districts and the number of zones applied, which allowed for a greater mix of integrated land uses resulting in a variety of activities occurring within the district like living, shopping and working. The sites, or at minimum the communities in which the sites are located, exhibited land use and design controls over open space, parking, recreational facilities and streets. Economic Drivers All of the model TOD sites were connected to the region s main economic activity center, in this case downtown Pittsburgh. But also as important, each site had its own economic activity with significant employment opportunities located in or within walking distance of the site study areas. Local jobs contribute to the life activity concept and the movement of people within a potential site. Housing and retail were stable at each site and seemed to be driven by the market and strong economic fundamentals rather than speculation. Diversity related to age, education level, and employment demographics was prevalent at several of the sites, along with the presence of a creative or talented economy that included people from diverse industries like architects, computer programmers, artists, and university professors. 5 Users Customers Whether visiting the model TOD sites for work, school, shopping, entertainment or appointments, diverse user groups like families, singles, students, senior citizens, and professionals were attracted to the district. The mix of land uses and development types provided a foundation for a variety of life activities to occur at each site. 6 Developers Investors All of the model sites, at some point in their evolution, received developer interest that was not solicited; market forces alone were conducive to driving interest. In some cases, institutions like foundations, universities and health care organizations were willing to invest in development of the community at some level. At each model TOD site, local public agency partners exhibited a willingness to support development either financially or by providing approvals and advice. 7 Public Agencies The local transit agency in each case was a strong supporter and partner of development. However, TOD is still possible without transit agency support as long as there is sufficient transit connectivity. A combination of local, state and federal agencies contributed to funding some element of development whether it was planning, site preparation or construction. At this point there is no need to fret if the site you are considering does not demonstrate each of these factors right from the get go. Not every site exhibits every factor. Factors that are currently deficient might be able to be included or improved in the site s master plan. For example, if the site you are considering doesn t demonstrate residential density, an appropriate level of housing could become a component of your master plan. There are however two factors that, if not present, are deal breakers. The first of those, of course, is transit. If your site does not have transit infrastructure (transit service, rail line, busway, transfer center, major transit stop) presently or planned for the future, TOD is not a development option for this particular site. The second factor critical to the success of TOD, is employment density or the number of jobs within or connected to a site, which coincides directly with attracting or retaining people for work, live and play activities. Completing the TOD Worksheet will help you to get a better understanding of your site s current condition and status relative to the TOD Success Factor Framework.

6 application Step 3: How Your Site Measures Up Step : Flowchart 5 SPC s Study determined key pre-contextual factors and conditions of TOD by identifying and analyzing the region s existing model sites. From this analysis, success factor indicators were determined that can be used as comparisons to TOD sites to predict potential. This process was not designed to definitively include or eliminate sites but rather to serve as a planning tool to gauge the potential strengths and short-falls of a specific TOD. Where gaps may exist, actions can be taken to close those gaps through development plans and funding sources. Success factor indicators for the region s model Urban, Edge and Commuter TOD sites are identified in Table 3. (Blank columns exist next to each TOD type for you to record data relative to the site that you are considering for TOD.) First, utilizing the definitions of site types mentioned previously in the Framework section under Location, determine whether your site is Urban, Edge or Commuter. Then go about obtaining the data for each metric relative to your potential TOD site. Table 2 identifies sources where you can readily find data related to your location. TABLE 2 TOD SUCCESS METRIC Population Housing Travel Time to Pittsburgh Transit Time to Pittsburgh Employment Zoning Walk-ability Score Transit Availability Cross Connections Dedicated Fixed Guideway Cross Route Service To Downtown Service POTENTIAL DATA SOURCES local planning agency, local Chamber of Commerce field view, local planning agency, local Chamber of Commerce Local transit agency (public timetable) local planning agency, local Chamber of Commerce Local zoning ordinance and map Local transit agency, field views Local transit agency, field views Local transit agency, field views Local transit agency (route and ridership data) Local transit agency (route and ridership data) After you complete the indicator table relative to your site type, look at your site s information alongside the model TOD Success Indicators to see how the site stacks up, where it exceeds indicators, where it meets them and where it is deficient. Although this comparison enables you to understand the site better relative to TOD, it doesn t inform you what to do next. So, there is still a little more work to do. With the site s success indicator detail in mind, work through the flowchart process (Figure 2) to determine whether the site should be eliminated from consideration or whether it should be considered a priority TOD site and subsequently advanced through a master planning effort that identifies strategic land use mixes and densities. If your site successfully flowed through Figure 2, congratulations; it is a likely candidate for Transit Oriented Development. If not, there may still be an opportunity to overcome deficiencies by incorporating the appropriate densities into the TOD land use plan. TABLE 3 TOD Success Metric U E C Urban Edge Commuter Baseline Your Site Baseline Your Site Baseline Your Site T Transit Availability Auto Travel Time to Pittsburgh 13 minutes 1 minutes 1 minutes Transit Transit Time to Pittsburgh Cross Route Connections Dedicated Fixed Guideway 10 minutes 25 minutes 90 minutes Cross Route Service (weekday roundtrips/ridership) 126 3, To Downtown Service (weekday roundtrips/ridership) 281 2, , Walkability Score D Population Per Acre (1/ mile) Housing (units) Per Acre (1/ mile) Employment (1 mile) Zoning (# of districts/applied districts) 11 15, , ,000 8

7 FIGURE 2 T Transit If the site you are considering currently has transit a busway, rail line, major transfer center or other previously discussed transit infrastructure or service and ancillary features and densities the site has passed the transit indicator part of the process and can move to the next step. If the site currently has transit but not the level of service density that is needed to create a successful TOD, work with the local transit agency to identify ways to increase mainline and cross connection services to meet indicator standards. If the site does not have transit, but is a candidate location for future transit expansion, integrate the transit plan along with forecasted service densities in your master planning efforts. If the potential site has no present or planned transit infrastructure or service, eliminate the site from consideration for TOD. Application of Success Factors 6 T Transit 8 Transit availability Adequate travel times Cross routes Fixed guideway Transit service densities Walk-ability NO Incorporate into Development Program or Eliminate Site 8 8 D There needs to be a certain threshold of job activity within or around the potential TOD site itself. If there is not an appropriate level of jobs, the site s master plan needs to include a mix of major employment opportunities that coincide with the TOD economic indicators. If there are not jobs or job activity that can be created in the development, then the site will not be successful as a TOD. Residential and population density are key components in creating life activity at a site; residential density that meets or exceeds the model TOD success indicators must already be present or be included in the development plan. The if you build it they will come axiom does not work with TOD; unless you have dense residential development within and around the potential site, TOD will not work. The site should be eliminated if there is no way to create housing opportunities. SPC s Study revealed a distinction between Zoning Districts available within a specific site and the number of Zones applied or in use within that site; the higher each number is the greater potential for mixed-use land and building outcomes. Make sure a potential site has multiple zoning districts or utilize methods that create diverse and multiple zoning districts with a transit orientation to ensure a successful TOD. D O YES Population Housing Employment Zoning YES Other Factors NO Incorporate into Development Program or Eliminate Site O Other Factors A potential TOD site must have vacant and/or underutilized properties available for development within the study area; the site must have capacity to develop a variety of land use mixes. Successful TOD projects often have multiple planning partners demonstrating outstanding leadership, and perseverance partners that are involved in the project for the long haul. Potential TOD site should have the capacity to create active places that are busy through the day and evening, which helps to increase safety for pedestrians, transit-users, and visitors to the site. Development Capacity Leadership Community Character YES Priority TOD Site NO Eliminate Site

8 explanation Step 5: Important Lessons About TOD challenges Step 6: 3 Common Pittfalls 7 High levels of activity are needed for a successful TOD. This 2-hour, seven-day-a-week user presence has typically been referred to throughout this workbook as life activity. All of the TOD Success Factors and Indicators relate specifically to life activity and the density levels to ensure that TOD has round-the-clock users resulting from residents, workers, shoppers, restaurant goers, transit riders, pedestrians and bicyclists. If a potential TOD site does not already achieve density criteria, in many cases the TOD land use plan will be driven by life activity and achieving the appropriate levels of density. TOD is a complex undertaking that rarely achieves a positive outcome without a strong leader or somebody that champions the project over the long term. You realize - if you have worked through this tool - that many elements have to align at appropriate times to accomplish a TOD. And somebody has to orchestrate all of those elements. The project champion will have to constantly promote the TOD to its partners while motivating those agencies to maintain high levels of interest, support and effort. He or she will have to identify funding sources, write grant applications, direct applications through processes and secure funds, which are all critical roles of the champion. Because TOD projects take so long to accomplish the champion must have qualities like patience and perseverance and must be a problem-solver rather than somebody that accepts a standard no can do response. Having a consistent project champion is essential to completing a TOD. A developer once said, Every development project dies three times before it is finally able to be accomplished. If that is the typical experience from the perspective of a developer, who diligently does this kind of thing for a living, imagine the experiences encountered by public agencies trying to achieve development projects that are outside of their core business. Development projects, particularly TODs, are difficult to achieve under the best of circumstances. There are a multitude of things that can derail a project, some of them before you even get started. Here are some of the more prevalent problems that can be encountered and ways to circumvent potential pitfalls. 1: Partnerships Multi-agency coordination is essential for the completion of TOD. Usually the local jurisdiction takes the lead on these types of projects and has to coordinate no less than a half dozen other agencies to obtain approvals, funding or other support. Here are generally some of the partners that will need to collaborate to complete a TOD initiative: Municipality Transit agency City and/or County planning agency State Department of Community and Economic Development State Department of Transportation Local, state and federal elected officials Property owners Private developers Funding sources Utility companies TOD projects that successfully engage and coordinate multiple partners are usually those that are looked upon favorably when it comes to receiving public funds and other support. However it is exceedingly difficult to engage and motivate agency partners over the long haul. The key is to involve partners early in the process and often, creating interest, buy-in and accountability from the project s earliest phases. 2: Funding There is no pot of money on any level local, state or federal set aside and dedicated to TOD; not for planning, not for construction, not for anything. Public funding for TOD will most likely come from a variety of sources that have to be cobbled together to fill gaps in the project s budget. For example, a TOD project currently underway in Southwestern Pennsylvania is using seven county and state funding sources, all of which took 10 years to identify and obtain. Those sources included: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Growing Greener II Housing & Redevelopment Assistance (HRA) PennDOT Economic Development Fund Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) Regional Economic Development District Initiative Program (REDDI) Tax Increment Financing (TIF) These funds, as with most public funding sources, are heavily competitive and difficult to obtain. It is important, therefore, to engage local and state officials to support the project and promote its importance to those representing and approving funding sources and grant programs. Continuous follow up and collaboration with source representatives is imperative.

9 3: Time Development projects are difficult to achieve under the best of circumstances; the various local approval processes take time and money. TOD, which is usually led by the public sector and funded in part by public monies, is even more onerous. Public agencies are stepping outside of their core businesses when they undertake a TOD and typically don t have the range of skill sets or focus to complete real estate deals and development. Publicly led development projects usually face more scrutiny and approvals than most other development projects. For example, TODs undertaken by a transit agency or using transit agency property must be reviewed and approved by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), a process that could take a year or more to complete. Because TOD projects take time, it is important to prepare for that inevitability by undertaking measures to mitigate and simplify processes. Align yourself with a partner that has already completed a development project like your city or county planning entity and has written grants and understands procedures. Develop a scope of work, budget and timeline for planning and soft-cost activities that is both precise and prudent. Keep local and state government officials aware of your project and provide them with consistent updates so that when inquiries are made they can speak supportively on behalf of the project. And seek advice from experts like other planning officials, engineers, real estate professionals, attorneys, funding sources and regulatory agencies so that you don t waste time trying to figure out things that someone else already knows. A state official once inquired, Why should the state invest money in your project if the local jurisdiction isn t diverting all of its funds to that project? Why should the state consider it a priority if you don t? If the municipality is not willing to demonstrate the importance of the TOD by diverting local funds to the project in lieu of other initiatives, the state is not likely to consider the TOD a priority for its funds either outcome This guide enabled you to identify and examine the demographic, economic, social and physical conditions surrounding your site relative to Transit Oriented Development. From this analysis, insights should have emerged into the factors that can contribute to the success of a potential TOD and the process of applying those factors to your community s site. The Success Factor Framework should have clarified the association and behavior between employment dynamics, densities, and multiple transit routes serving your potential TOD. The findings resulting from this tool should provide a foundation for the planning and successful development of your site. For more information about TOD and how to use this workbook please contact: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

10 Shifting demographics and the changing real estate market have opened up an unprecedented window of opportunity for Transit Oriented Development. One of the most sustainable and low-cost solutions to a host of pending problems is public-private investment in neighborhoods near transit where people don t have to drive. Reconnecting America, Center for Transit Oriented Development, TOD 101 Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Regional Enterprise Tower 25 Sixth Avenue, Suite Pittsburgh, PA x316