Schools Near Transit Harness Connectivity Benefits

SAN JOSE—Transit-oriented development continues to be a hot topic with the Google and Diridon Station projects among the most recognizable. Architectural firm LPA Inc. has created a TOD model that includes a state-of-the-art school, one component missing from the equation, it says in this exclusive.

LPA’s design challenges the model of a traditional school, where students stay on campus all day. Curriculums can leverage transit access to move learning off site, engaging and developing students in different ways. Instead of traditional classrooms, there are more community-based spaces, labs and interdisciplinary environments. Students would be able to walk off trains and directly into the secure school environment while parents can work in the same areas as their children’s schools.

“Schools located in transit-oriented developments have the potential to provide solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing schools and employers today in highly urbanized areas,” Helen Pierce, associate and design director of LPA, tells GlobeSt.com. “Beyond that, they would provide options not typically afforded schools, with increased ease of access out to the assets of the wider region for community-based learning. The density, the energy and the transient nature of TODs also provide a unique opportunity to create a rich dialogue between schools and all of the resources that mixed-use developments bring.”

Pierce says integrating an innovative campus into a TOD addresses a myriad of concerns, from construction costs to the living expenses of teachers, while creating an important amenity for developers.

“The most exciting aspect is the ability to create a truly dynamic educational environment that harnesses the vibrancy and connectivity that a TOD would offer,” Pierce tells GlobeSt.com. “Imagine the educational opportunities that would be opened by having quick and easy access to all the resources the community has to offer, coupled with being feet away from some of the world’s most innovative companies. The schools also become a major amenity to employers, providing appealing options for parents and rounding out the potential of dense and sustainable mixed-use developments.”

LPA Inc. designed TIDE Academy, a STEM-focused school embedded in a light-industrial area of Menlo Park, CA. The firm also designed the first school in the country to be integrated into a public library. e3 Civic High is located on the sixth and seventh floors of San Diego’s new library complex. LPA’s model addresses the future of schools and encourages leaders to push the boundaries in education development.