TOD Developments Could Create More Equitable Housing

Developer Hines’ Riverwalk project in San Diego is an example of the benefits of transit-oriented development. Riverwalk is the first transit-oriented village in San Diego, and it will include 400 affordable housing units and a total of 4,300 homes. It will also include retail, office space and large open spaces along the San Diego River. There are many benefits of transit-oriented development, including the opportunity to develop more equitable housing and more equitable communities.

“Riverwalk will include approximately 400 units of affordable housing. Proximity to transit will be a great advantage to many of these residents who may find it financially beneficial to not own a car,” Eric Hepfer, managing director at Hines, tells GlobeSt.com. “Climate change is another key social equity consideration, and the only way to achieve the goals of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan is to reduce our dependence on vehicles. Lastly, is the long-term costs of public services as they relate to land use. As urban planners are starting to realize, sprawling single-family homes require more roads, more miles of utilities, and more fire and police services per person than do infill communities like Riverwalk.”

Transit-oriented communities are also more convenient and solve transportation issues. “We know that the average person will only choose to ride transit if it is competitive with the car in terms of convenience, cost, flexibility and safety. Transit is already the clear winner on cost and safety, but for flexibility and convenience the car wins today,” Pete Shearer, an associate at Hines, tells GlobeSt.com. “With the upcoming completion of the San Diego Trolley’s mid-coast trolley extension, riders using the new Riverwalk trolley stop will have less than a 20-minute commute to most major employment centers by using public transit instead of their cars.”

That extension will play an integral role in the success of the Riverwalk development. “This will enable transit for Riverwalk residents to be a competitive option. As a coastal and border city, circulation routes are constrained in San Diego, and traffic is becoming worse as the population increases,” says Hepfer. “Over time, we think the competitive advantage of transit will become more pronounced.”

Above all, TOD projects provide a better quality of life. “Residents are tired of spending valuable personal and family time in their cars,” says Shearer. “From the outset, we’ve designed the Riverwalk village around transit, giving residents the option of relying less, or not at all, on their cars and spending more time doing things they enjoy.”