Moving Metro Toward Transit-Oriented Communities

Research Team: Jasneet Bains (lead), Katrina Brahmer, Krystian Boreyko, Dan Broder, Andrés Carrasquillo, Jordan Hallman, Matthew Hartzell, Cameron Olson, Kay Sasaki, Nathan Serafin, Shayne Smith, Sarah Stockham, Warren Wells, Martin Wachs, and Jaimee Lederman

UC Campus(es): UCLA

Problem Statement: Investment in public transportation systems bring the potential for temporary and permanent neighborhood disruption, including displacement, gentrification, and changes in community character. This research seeks to develop a set of policy recommendations for Los Angeles Metro, which is increasingly involved in land use planning in station areas.

Project Description: First, the team will analyze Metro’s potential involvement and influence in the land market around stations, both on the property it owns and on property it does not own. The areas of analysis include: 1) alternative ownership structures such as Community Land Trusts and limited equity corporations, and 2) the incentives and planning tools Metro can utilize to further the goals of Metro Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) at the station area level. Second, the team will evaluate land use policies, plans, and funding mechanisms that have relevance to Metro’s network of TOCs within a subset of the 29 cities that Metro’s rail and high-capacity bus network serves. The findings of this task provide guidance for Metro and its stakeholders on how to navigate the complex network of policies, including land use regulations and statewide mandates, that affect TOC development. In Phase 1 of the project, the team examines state, regional, and city-level policies in preparation for the applied case studies in Phase 2, when a set of corridor and station-specific recommendations will be developed. The third task develops a typology that describes the different types of Metro rail and BRT station areas in Los Angeles County based on existing use, access, and urban form on a continuum between low-density, outlying stations and high-density, central stations. The task also identifies station areas with high potential to transition along that continuum from less transit-supportive to more transit-supportive. Finally, the team will explore how Metro might improve upon existing practices of corridor planning by considering its connection with TOC planning policies.

Status: Completed

Budget: $13,600