Bottom Line: Transit Oriented Development is a smart approach to accommodate future growth in San Mateo County, and reduce our communities' environmental impact.
Transit Oriented Development (TOD), sometimes called "Smart Growth" or the "New Urbanism" is an approach to planning communities which concentrates more dense, mixed-use development along transit corridors and near transit hubs. Mixed-use is usually interpreted as developing housing above commercial/retail space, but can also include residential/office use or offices combined with retail shops. On the peninsula, TOD is most appropriate when built near CalTrain stations, but TOD can also be included along major bus routes such as El Camino Real.
Since most of the cities on the peninsula are already "built out" (i.e. existing land already includes some type of existing structure), TOD will usually involve redevelopment of underutilized parcels to increase value and provide more desirable uses. Infill development is the most viable approach to accommodate increasing population in San Mateo County.
Advantages:
Infill / TOD development: 1) provides homes for new residents while reducing pressure on existing single-family neighborhoods and open space, 2) supports new and existing shops, restaurants and services, 3) brings various uses close together and close to transit which encourages people to drive less and to walk, bike, and use public transit more, 4) reduces commuting time thus giving people more time to spend with family and friends, 5) promotes a more active lifestyle and greater community interaction, 6) reduces energy consumption and pollution, 7) increases the local tax base by converting under-developed properties to more productive and taxable uses, 8) reduces infrastructure costs, and 9) is ideal for the aging population who can no longer drive a car to get from their homes to social events and essential services.
Take Action:
- Ask your city or town if its General Plan includes TOD and higher density infill development. Ask them to consider including it if they don't.
- Attend a city planning commission meeting or city council meeting where a higher density development along El Camino Real is up for approval, and support the development.
Local San Mateo County Resources:
- The Forum at Redwood City is a series of illustrated talks by experts in the field of city planning which take place monthly 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM at the Little Fox Theater in Redwood City. Talks address the full range of city planning subjects from TOD to urban parks, to mixed-use, to housing, to parking. Both planning professionals and the general public will learn much about the current thinking in city planning at these talks and learn how to incorporate sustainable planning concepts within their own communities. For information, contact Dan Zack at the City of Redwood City (650) 780-7363 or email dzack@redwoodcity.org.
- The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a collaboration of 19 cities, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, and local and regional agencies to promote infill development along El Camino Real. For information, go to www.grandboulevard.net.
- The San Mateo County Department of Housing - Filling in the Gaps is a 15 page booklet on infill housing concepts and opportunities on the peninsula. www.smchousing.org.
Bay Area Resources:
- Association of Bay Area Governments - A Place to Call Home: Housing in the San Francisco Bay Area is a 48 page booklet full of information about infill and TOD developments with many illustrations. www.abag.ca.gov/planning/housingneeds.
- The Greenbelt Alliance has been advocating for smart growth for years in order to preserve existing open spaces. www.greenbelt.org.
- The Great Communities Collaborative includes a planning tool kit and examples of smart growth initiatives in various Bay Area communities. www.greatcommunities.org.
National Resources:
- The Smart Growth Network.
- The Congress for the New Urbanism. www.cnu.org
- U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED-ND is a checkpoint system for sustainable neighborhood development. It is currently under development with adoption expected before the end of 2009. This is an extension of the USGBC's current LEED standards for certifying green building construction and is most appropriate for design and planning professionals and developers. www.usgbc.org/LEED/ND
- Natural Resources Defense Council. www.nrdc.org/smart growth
Photo: The Meridian at the Crossings apartments, Phase I, near the San Bruno CalTrain station - www,devcon-const.com
Submitted by: David Crabbe, San Carlos
