Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in transit-
oriented development (TOD) and other transit-centered
initiatives. It has been widely presumed that transit investment
can significantly contribute to curbing sprawl and creating
a more compact (and thus more sustainable) pattern of
urban land use, while providing a broader range of travel
options. However, little is known about how investments in
the public transit system modify urban land use patterns and
the geographical extent of impacts. Prior research tends to
assume transit lines and stations are homogeneous and have
similar impacts without careful consideration of development
history, service quality, or other variations. In addition, prior
research and current practice often assume transit impacts
are concentrated within a half-mile, which has limited the
understanding of how transit investments impact the broader
vicinity.
