The mixed success of nodes as a smart growth planning policy

At a time of rising concern over urban sprawl and its adverse financial, quality-of-life, and environmental consequences, nodes assume growing importance within urban (and especially metropolitan) planning strategies. Nodes are defined as high-density multifunctional developments featuring a pedestrian-conducive environment and good public-transit accessibility. The article draws from the Toronto experience to explore reasons for the popularity of nodes among planning agencies, their limited capacity over recent years to attract new office and retail development, and difficulties in launching new nodes. It also investigates their problems in meeting walking and public-transit-patronage objectives. The article proposes four means of enhancing the smart growth performance of nodes: (1) improved planning coordination; (2) reliance on both incentives and coercion; (3) investment in public transit systems; (4) merging nodal and corridor approaches.