Land Development and Transportation Policies for Transit-Oriented Development in Germany and Italy: Five Case Studies

Across the United States, metropolitan regions are increasingly turning to transitoriented development (TOD) as a logical alternative to the autodependent land development patterns of the last six decades. TOD projects, however, face policy hurdles that could inhibit their effectiveness, particularly those that address land use densities, parking, and the role of traffic impact studies.

In this policy brief, Bay Area transportation planner Michelle DeRobertis undertakes a comparative examination of recent TOD developments in five European cities and finds that by planning land-use and transit concurrently, planners in Europe have created successful, vibrant new communities from which their American peers can learn.