In my last post on May 3, I shared that the City was “going public” about Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and some draft guidelines we’ve been working on to guide TOD in our city over the next 30 years. So far, we’ve held four open houses where interested members of the public have been able to hear a short presentation on TOD and the draft Guidelines, then ask questions and offer feedback. We’ve also held a number of smaller meetings and presentations with some specific stakeholders groups (like the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, the planning committee of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and others). If you’re interested, there’s one more open house scheduled for May 26, at Queen Elizabeth High School, 9425-132 Avenue. The session runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with a presentation starting at 7 p.m. Or check out www.edmonton.ca/tod for more information, including a video of our first presentation and a link to an on-line feedback questionnaire. To encourage and guide TOD, the draft TOD Guidelines set out the city’s expectations for the type of development that is appropriate near transit stations for the future. The Guidelines will be used by property owners, developers and their designers as they consider development options. They will apply to any new development or re-development proposals for land within 400 metres of a transit station. What we’re hearing so far is that most people support TOD in principle and look forward to seeing more of it in Edmonton. There are many reasons, but those we have heard most often include:
- TOD is an important way to limit urban sprawl, by concentrating more development and redevelopment in existing areas rather than continual expansion of the city’s boundary
- It will help the environment through less vehicle use and better land use
- More walking and biking means healthier, happier people
- A TOD neighbourhood is attractive to people because they can shop, work and play in the same area if they choose, or easily use the LRT to travel to other areas
But people do have some important concerns too. For example, we’ve found that people who live within 400 metres of an existing LRT station or transit centre want to know what changes they can expect in their neighbourhoods if TOD goes ahead and the Guidelines are approved. There is no “pat” answer, because any changes in existing neighbourhoods would depend on a number of factors. For example, market conditions, available land for redevelopment and if property owners are even interested in re-developing. But the bottom line is that unless a property owner applies for a development that requires a re-zoning of the property, there will be very little change to existing neighbourhoods. The Guidelines only come into play when someone wants a change. They are more applicable to developments in new areas, or major re-developments of un-used or under-used lands. The Guidelines also recognize that not all station areas are the same and different station types have been developed accordingly. In the same vein, we also get asked if the City will be “forcing” TOD in mature neighbourhoods, perhaps by buying land and initiating development. The answer is “no” – the City has no plans to force TOD in existing communities. It is up to individual property owners to change or develop their properties to support transit if they choose. That said though, the City may choose to encourage TOD in some areas where it already owns land and where TOD has potential for success -perhaps by developing new parks and other public amenities that are consistent with TOD, and partnering with private developers for housing and other developments (the City Centre Airport lands are a prime example of a situation where the city owns land and could develop it accordingly). Check out more Frequently Asked Questions that we’re hearing about TOD and the answers . So far at least, we’ve found that while people do have questions and some have specific concerns that they’ve shared about the draft Guidelines, most agree that TOD in general is something Edmonton should be encouraging. They see it as key to our future, as do I! For a peek at that future, have a visit with cute little LRT rider, Adam, age 3! With TOD, we’ll see many more Adams and their parents in the years to come.