Bursting the Bubble

Abstract

Transit-oriented developments (TODs) in the United States have been modeled almost exclusively with a half-mile radius as a reliable limit for pedestrian walkability from and to a light rail station. New research has emerged to challenge this standard, with data indicating that transit users may be apt to walk greater distances than previously estimated. Variables such as housing density, employment density, and urban design all significantly affect walking patterns. Those factors are analyzed as expanders or contractors of the TOD radius, and the implications that a fluctuating boundary might have on the future of urban growth are considered.