I’ve written several articles on the issue of the need for affordable housing at TOD — see An Affordable Responsibility: True Transit-Oriented Developments Require Adequate Low-income Housing and The Perfect Platform for Affordable Housing: Adding Affordable Units in Transit-oriented Development … and the following article from TreeHugger.com reiterates the risk of gentrification on development at transit-stops, and the impact on transit ridership.
The Dukakis Center has published an important report on transit-oriented (TOD) gentrification. The report reflects careful research and reflection on the part of the report’s authors, Stephanie Pollack, Barry Bluestone, and Chase Billingham. The report is a major achievement, pointing to tons of policy conflicts between the envisioned goals and real-life implementation of TOD. We have one handwringing study after another about how transit is so much more affordable than cars, right? But not if you can’t afford to live next to the transit, and according to this study, the people we’re trying to keep transport costs low for get shoved out of neighborhoods where TOD is supplied.
Read remainder of story at TreeHugger.com.
