Design Guidelines to Enhance the Livability of Transit-oriented Development

Design Guidelines to Enhance the Livability of Transit-oriented Development

Urban densification and mixed land use are prerequisites for achieving sustainable ridership on public transit. Yet, many people prefer low-density living in single-family neighborhoods and oppose proposals to densify areas served by new transit systems. For example, the public has criticized plans to densify the Aloha Stadium redevelopment project and urged better design practices. Nevertheless, if planned and designed well, urban densification can contribute to increased urban resilience by optimizing infrastructure investments, reducing sprawl, and promoting more sustainable land use patterns

This session will present results of a survey questionnaire in 2023 that used visual images to measure perceptions of and preferences for moderate-density housing connected to transit-oriented development (TOD). The sample consisted of 213 U.S. residents, of which 143 lived in Hawaii. An ideal TOD offers a more compact, walkable, mixed-use community that is well-integrated with a bus or rail transit station. To realize its social benefits, TOD needs thoughtful design to make it desirable and livable. Studies show that design guidance based on visual research methods yields more valid results. Our web-based questionnaire was novel in that many questions used two, three or four visual images to illustrate alternative designs of residential options. Measures were taken to improve the validity and reliability of survey results. This session should be of interest to land use and site planners, building and landscape architects, public transit officials, and real estate developers.

This presentation will fulfill the following learning objectives:

• People perceive moderate-density TOD as more desirable if it has certain land use and building design elements. They include variation in the use of building materials and styles, and thoughtful design of parking and open spaces, building heights and façades, lot coverage, rooflines, and landscaping.
• People prefer buildings with more windows and limits on the number of attached dwelling units. Views from inside and outside a dwelling unit influence perception of density in both positive and negative ways. If planned and designed well, living spaces will appear less dense than reality.
• People with an educational and/or professional background in planning are more likely to prefer moderate-density housing compared to people who don’t have that background.

NOTES:

• Please join the Zoom Meeting directly through the Online Event on Eventbrite.
• Presentation begins promptly at 12:00 noon.
• The cost is FREE for APA/APA-HI members (with discount code); $5 for non-members; and free for students.
• MEMBER DISCOUNT: In order to receive a 100% discount on Member tickets, APA/APA-HI members will need to: 1) click "Enter Promo Code"; 2) enter the email address associated with their membership; 3) click "Apply" to apply the discount; 4) select the ticket they wish to purchase (i.e., "Member"); and 5) proceed to Checkout.
• AICP Members: This event will be submitted to APA for CM credit (1.0 credit). After attending the event, you should be able to register the CM credit.

---------------------------------------------

PRESENTERS:

Peter Flachsbart, Ph.D., AICP was a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa from August of 1980 to December of 2024. He primarily taught courses about environmental, transportation, and urban land use policy and planning, as well as the use of methods and models in planning and public decision-making. He has served as a consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, the United Nations Environment Program, the World Health Organization, and the American Civil Liberties Union. He was a reviewer for the National Science Foundation, the National Research Council, John Wiley & Sons, and Routledge Press. He is the author of nearly 25 peer-reviewed articles published in professional journals and more than 10 chapters in books related to his discipline. He has been a member of the AICP since 1979 and has served continuously as Professional Development Officer of APA Hawaiʻi Chapter since 1983. He is the recipient of the Donald Wolbrink Chapter Achievement Award in 2000 and a national Leadership Award from the APA Chapter Presidents Council in 2013.

Lily Zheng is a Transportation Planner at the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, where she primarily supports community outreach initiatives and planning studies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Hawaiʻi, focusing on user input design preferences for moderate-density residential development near transit.