Transit Villages in the 21st Century

In this book, the authors propose the as an organizing principle for creating places--built environments, social environments, and economic environments--that embrace and evolve around mass transit systems. The book is organized in five parts. Part One presents the transit village as a paradigm for creating attractive and sustainable communities, both in the city and the suburbs, where rail transit systems are or will be in place. The most important physical elements of the transit village--civic plazas near train entrances, pleasant walking environs, diversity in housing, compactness--are identified as are the purposes and hopes of the transit village movement. Part Two presents the case for transit villages. The discussion covers transit villages' contributions to the attainment of important public policy objectives, such as improving air quality, relieving traffic congestion, and rejuvenating inner-city neighborhoods; transit village physical and design characteristics and their implications for mobility and sustainability; and the market for transit villages. Part Three contains case summaries of transit village initiatives in the United States, and Part Four case summaries of transit village initiatives abroad. Part Five advances principles that the authors believe are crucial for moving transit villages from theory to practice in contemporary urban America. The authors draw from their recent experiences as consultants in planning for transit-oriented growth in San Juan and San Diego. The book closes with the reminder that, ultimately, what transit villages are all about is people--people who seed the idea, people who move things forward, and people who live, work, and recreate within the community.