The Advocates
The Advocates: A New Take on Transit Oriented Development
| Suppose your daily conversations don’t involve buzzwords like zoning, setbacks or developer incentives. In that case, the term Transit-Oriented Development may not mean much, but you should know about it. The Lowcountry Rapid Transit, a 21.3-mile bus rapid transit project, is set to revolutionize our entire region. The initial route is poised to be the first mass transit system in South Carolina and will undoubtedly become a hub of commerce for businesses. Transit-oriented development aims to provide practical, blended-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods that incorporate travel, lodging, schools, parks and other social enhancements benefiting various groups[1]. Equitable transit-oriented development can be approached from multiple perspectives and views, but it ultimately means “development that meets the needs of underserved communities through policies and programs that reduce disparities while fostering places that are healthy”[2]. In 1972, the City of North Charleston was established as the 9th largest city in South Carolina and was mainly composed of army personnel after World War II. Now, the still-young city aims to be the economic driver of the entire state. While this economic movement helps build capacity and economic power throughout the state, change and rapid gentrification may put many North Charleston residents at risk of displacement. The City of Charleston has already seen years of displacement and gentrification as homeownership costs and rent prices run wild, impacting the existing communities that have called the peninsula home for decades. The establishment of transit-oriented development, like LCRT, is critical to alleviate additional gentrification and displacement as our region’s population continues to grow. Establishing the LCRT is pivotal to our region, working as a solution to many of the issues impacting communities and surrounding municipalities. The bulk of what must happen to make the LCRT successful are policies supporting transit development. The current transit line is supported by jobs, which is excellent, but the region must work to bring people together on the transit line. Increasing the ability for people to eat, work and play near where they live supports successful transit development. Take the city of Portland, which successfully implemented a plan for transit-oriented development in the early 2000s and still benefits from those decisions today. They understood that mixed destinations, local stores, cafes, parks and schools were essential in replacing car trips with transit rides. As the LCRT becomes increasingly real, take comfort in knowing that dedicated advocates are working to establish the necessary conditions to make equitable transit-oriented development a reality for the Lowcountry. To learn more about the Regional Transit Framework Plan, click here.To learn more about the City of Charleston’s City Plan, click here. |
| [1] Ali, L., Nawaz, A., Iqbal, S., Aamir Basheer, M., Hameed, J., Albasher, G., Shah, S. A., & Bai, Y. (2021).[2] Dynamics of Transit Oriented Development, role of greenhouse gases and urban environment: A Study for Management and policy. Sustainability, 13(5), 2536. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052536 |
Posted on
July 19th 2024
Written by
Justin Allen
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