Transit-Oriented Development: Plan Making Guideline in Urban Areas

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is one of the most prominent urban development approaches that have appeared over the past few decades. It mainly focuses on the relationship between public transportation and urban development. The cornerstones of this approach include enhancing the quality of local urban designs, increasing mixed-use areas, expanding social interactions, encouraging people to drive less and use other mediums that are more compatible with public transportation services such as bicycles and commuting on foot. A look at the first generation of TODs in developed countries has revealed many barriers that are believed to have strongly undermined the effectiveness of this approach. However, the lack of a comprehensive understanding of this approach and therefore ignoring its principles through urban development regulations still remains as its main challenges. This article briefly introduces TOD and its underlying tenets. It then brings into the spotlight the general guidelines for planning TOP projects by discussing the four pivotal principles like compactness, mixed-use areas, pedestrian-oriented development and mobility alternatives.