The role of transportation planning and policy in shaping communities

Abstract

This article reviews some of the social and environmental costs of transportation planning over the past half-century, and highlights some promising trends in planning and policy development at the local and federal level. These legislative measures, incentives, and new patterns of growth - including transit-oriented development (TOD) - are poised to remedy some past harms by better aligning transportation, housing, and environmental considerations. Equitable TOD, though not a silver bullet, has particular potential to enhance access for low-income communities to employment, education, and other opportunities, while at the same time supporting environmentally sustainable urban growth patterns.Community development ; Transportation