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From 2015 to 2017, UrbanToronto and its sister publication, SkyriseCities, ran an occasional series of articles under the heading Explainer. Each one took a concept from Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction, or other topics that often wind up in our publications, and presented an in depth look at it. It's time to revisit (and update where necessary) those articles for those new to UrbanToronto. While you may already know what some of these terms mean, others may be new to you. We will be (re)publishing Explainer on a weekly basis.
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Growing populations are prompting planners and local officials to rethink the way land is used in cities. Sustainability has become an important consideration in the planning of future urban areas, and one way to achieve that is through the application of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) principles, also known as Transit Oriented Communities (TOC).
In the planning of particular developments or full communities, TOD or TOC design maximizes access to public transportation while discouraging the use of private automobiles. It considers how to accommodate residential, office, and retail uses in compact developments that foster welcoming environments for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. Sometimes education, recreation, and other social service facilities are also incorporated into the multi-use developments. On principle, the designs focus on how transit service can be best integrated into the new developments.
A TOD or TOC typically features a rapid transit stop at its centre that is surrounded by a dense built form with progressively lower-density development in the outlying blocks, and is generally limited to a 400- to 800-metre radius from the central transit stop.
Cities around the world are constantly developing strategic plans and policies that implement TOD principles. Numerous post-war neighbourhoods in Japan and across Europe were developed to be human scaled and pedestrian friendly, promoting cycling instead of driving. In North America, where automobile dependency is more common, there has been an innate struggle to craft an environment that stresses transit and walkability. Several cities are leading the charge though, particularly Portland, San Francisco, and Vancouver, which have each embarked on the creation of sustainable communities.
In Toronto, the current Housing Now initiative aims to repurpose underused City-owned sites with new housing, concentrating on land close to subway stations. One such site, shown above, is at Islington subway station on Bloor Street West in Etobicoke. The station site is currently mostly used for a bus terminal and surface parking, but most of the buses have now been moved to a new terminal at Kipling station, where there is also plenty of parking provided. At Islington, this gives the City an opportunity to create new housing, retail, and office space where people will be able to quickly access transit. For this TOC, relatively few spaces for parking will be provided, while land will also be able to be given over to new green space where until now there has been none.
In the meantime, do you have other planning terms that you would like to see featured on Explainer? Share your comments and questions in the comments section below!
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Want to read other Explainers? Click on the magenta Explainer box at the top of the page.
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