How Placemaking Can Transform Transit Facilities into Vibrant Destinations that Support Biking and Walking

Presented by Cynthia Nikitin, Senior VP PPS Long Beach, CA Pro Walk Pro Bike Pro Place September 12 2012

We shape our buildings and thereafter, our buildings shape us. – Winston Churchill

We shape our transportation systems and thereafter, our transportation shapes us. — Transportation and Livable Communities Consortium

What Makes a Great Transit Place?

sociability uses & activities

access & linkages comfort & image

Welcoming

evening use volunteerism

street life

transit usage

parking usage patterns pedestrian activity

Walkable Convenient Accessible

Charm Clean Attractive

Historic

Safe

building conditions environmental data

sanitation rating crime stats

Cooperative Neighborly

property values land-use patterns

retail sales

business ownership

Special Real

Fun Active Vital

Connected

Key Attributes Intangibles Measurements

PLACE

Placemaking is a process that fosters the creation of vital, multi-use public destinations. These multi-use destinations are not defined just by architecture or design features, but rather by the public uses and activities that engage people's participation within he space and encourage them to return again and again. Placemaking leverages the investments in existing infrastructure as well as a broad range of local assets. Through the combination of lower-cost, short term physical improvements, combined with public space programming, the use and perception of public space can be transformed.

What is Placemaking?

Community/Place Driven Approach

The Placemaking Process around Transportation

Before After

Community Destination and Transit Route Mapping

Walk-It Audit

Place Imagination Exercise

Digital Placemaking Applications

Place Evaluation Exercise: Place Game and Place Audit

Twenty Strategies

For Thinking Beyond the Station: Building Walkable Places Around Transit

Rail stations and bus stops can serve as community focal points while providing a safe, comfortable, and attractive experience for transit passengers

Design, Build & Manage Stations as Places

Transit facilities are active, attractive, community public spaces that attract people on a regular basis, at various times of day, and days of week.

1

San

Brun

o, C

A

Cor

pus C

hris

ti, T

X

Bus, rail, and light rail stations function as community destinations.

2

Transit facilities are programmed as venues for a wide range of community activities and events.

Port

land

, OR

3

A variety of amenities and retail are provided, such as news/sundry stands, coffee carts, comfortable seating,

restrooms, and information kiosks that serve residents and commuters alike.

Brad

ley

Beac

h, N

J 4

Amenities are clustered together in centralized areas to create synergy, enhance their impact, and maximize use.

Be

lmon

t, C

A 5

The transit facility is attractive and visible from a distance. 6

Design Great Boulevards and Transit-Friendly Streets

Roads, streets, and transit stops are public spaces and places that can benefit communities socially, economically, and environmentally.

Transit planned as part of a transportation system linked to the street network

From Indianapolis Region Multimodal Corridor and Public Space Design Guidelines

Supporting Community and Mobility

Supporting Community and Mobility

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES

New Manuals Add Context in

Roadways adjacent to transit facilities are pedestrian-friendly boulevards. 13

14 Transferring between train, buses, and cars is both convenient and pleasant.

There are safe and pleasant ways for pedestrians and bicyclists to reach the station - from many directions. 15

Streets that connect neighborhoods to transit facilities are attractive, comfortable, and safe feeling.

Col

ma,

CA

16

Signage and information helps people find their way to the correct bus or train and destination, and

promotes local businesses and attractions. 17

Grade-separation projects create connections, rather than barriers, within a community.

San

Car

los,

CA

18

Neighborhoods are inclusive and accessible to all

19 19

Port

land

, OR

20 Transit Links and is Integrated into Community Anchors and Destinations

What is Transit-Oriented Development

(TOD)?

Approach to areas around existing and new transit that

– Helps communities control and shape growth

– Is sensitive to existing neighborhood character

– Is connected to regional employment centers

– Creates local jobs and a stronger tax base

– Is built through collaborative partnerships

Bethesda, MD

What it is not • "One size fits all"

• Only high-density housing

• Only targeted to certain market segments

• Disruptive of existing historic centers

Components of Transit-Oriented Development

• Walkable Neighborhoods

• Accessible Mix of Uses

• Travel Options • Quality Public Spaces • Community

Engagement Village of West Clay, IN

TOD Opportunities from the Community Perspective

• Lower Housing and Transportation Costs

• Jobs and Value Premiums • Preservation of

Community Identity • Social Engagement • Public and Environmental

Health • Multi-Generational

Communities South Orange, NJ Train Station

TOD Opportunities from the Municipal Perspective

• Economic Development and Expanded Tax Base

• Congestion Mitigation • Reduced Greenhouse

Gas Emissions • Air Quality

Improvements • Open Space

Preservation • Efficient Transportation

Investments

Tuckahoe, NY

Implementing TOD

Community engagement and visioning

Public investment in transit, streets,

parks

Private investment in existing places and new development

• Station Area and Development Plans

• Community benefits agreements

• Capital improvement plans

• Programming and management

• TOD Zoning • Joint Development • Financing tools (IDA, TIF)

Benefits of Transit-Oriented Development

1. Economic Development 2. Lower Housing and Transportation Costs 3. Placemaking 4. Environmental and Public Health 5. Community and Historic Preservation 6. Meet Market Demand 7. Improved Transportation System Performance 8. Transportation Choice

Benefits of a Placemaking Approach for Community Supportive Transit • Transit stations become community assets and destinations

• Pressure to increase parking capacity is reduced

• Station areas become more desirable as places to live and operate businesses

• Ridership increases – alleviating auto dependence

• Real estate near train stations becomes more valuable

• Opportunities for partnering with other agencies, cities and civic groups

• A sense of ownership is generated in the community

• Transit investments and assets are leveraged to achieve community benefits

www.pps.org @CynthiaNikitin

Cnikitin@pps.org