Is Transit-Oriented Development Affordable for Low and Moderate Income Households (in terms of H+T)?

The transportation and land use planning paradigm is shifting away from segregated uses connected by highways and roads to more compact, mixed-use developments connected by high quality transit. This new paradigm has brought transit-oriented development (TOD) to the fore, and researchers continue to highlight advantages of this style of well-integrated land use and transportation planning. When it comes to affordability, what counts isn’t housing costs alone but the combination of housing plus transportation costs (H+T). If TODs do, in fact, command higher rents due to increased transit accessibility, this creates an issue of social equity, especially if higher housing costs are not offset by transportation-related cost savings. Promoting a development style that limits access for transit-dependent populations by pricing those residents out of the market could potentially be counterproductive. In this study the research team first confirms whether TOD style development capitalizes on increased accessibility by demanding higher rents than comparable contemporary developments with similar amenities. More importantly, the team then compares the rent premiums with estimates of transportation cost savings for TOD dwellers to see whether the combination of H+T exceeds affordability standards for different income groups. Based on case studies, the team also identifies measures taken by exemplary TOD developers and jurisdictions to make housing affordable for low and moderate income households.

• Record URL:
  https://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/1328

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $320113
• Contract Numbers:

  NITC-1328

  69A3551747112

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  City & Metropolitan Planning
  201 South Presidents Circle
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112

  University of Arizona, Tucson

  PO Box 210072
  Tucson, AZ  United States  85721

  ECONorthwest

  888 S.W. Fifth, Suite 1460
  Portland, OR  United States  97204-

  City of Orem

  56 North State Street
  Orem, Utah  United States  84057
• Managing Organizations:

  TREC at Portland State University

  1900 SW Fourth Ave, Suite 175
  P.O. Box 751
  Portland, Oregon  United States  97201
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  City & Metropolitan Planning
  201 South Presidents Circle
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112

  University of Arizona, Tucson

  PO Box 210072
  Tucson, AZ  United States  85721
• Principal Investigators:

  Ewing, Reid

  Adkins, Arlie

  Iroz-Elardo, Nicole

• Start Date: 20190801
• Expected Completion Date: 20211231
• Actual Completion Date: 20220128
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Case studies; Costs; Equity (Justice); Income; Rent; Savings; Transit oriented development
• Subject Areas: Economics; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01710782
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Institute for Transportation and Communities
• Contract Numbers: NITC-1328, 69A3551747112
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 12 2019 7:26PM