Transit-oriented Development

(TOD)

ECONOMICS-ENVIRONMENT-EQUITY

“Suppose that the basic structure of society distributes certain primary goods, that is, things that every rational man is presumed to want. These goods normally have a use whatever a person’s rational plan of life. For simplicity, assume that the chief primary goods at the disposition of society are rights and liberties, powers and opportunities, income and wealth…These are the social primary goods. Other primary goods such as health and vigor, intelligence and imagination, are natural goods; although their possession is influenced by the basic structure [of society], they are not so directly under its control.” (John Rawls, A Theory of Justice 1971)

“The assessment of justice is discussed in terms of distribution of primary goods (which include rights, liberties and opportunities, income and wealth, and the social bases of self-respect), and in terms of capabilities (the freedoms enjoyed by people to choose lives that they value).” (Amartya Sen, On Economic Inequality 1973)

Railroads in Rhode Island and throughout the country have served as a catalyst for growth and prosperity in the past. The settlement pattern of cities like Westerly emerged in the late 1800s and the turn of the Twentieth Century around the railroad, and the Kingston rail line provided student transportation to the agricultural school and experiment station established in 1888 that later became the University of Rhode Island. There now exists, at the beginning of the 21st century, the opportunity to reshape the creation of these villages centered around transit and green building design, to protect open space from sprawl, to reduce the dependence and negative effects associated with automobiles, and to provide an impetus for new economic growth.

TOD and smart-growth principles can be integrated and merged with ‘green-design’ concepts (i.e., use of materials, orientation, functionality, aesthetics, etc. – following LEED principles) in the construction of buildings of TOD planned communities. Further mobility options could be provided through car-sharing programs that employ hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles located near the train stations to provide additional daily transportation within towns. Ultimately, the establishment of commuter rail throughout Rhode Island, coupled with the potential expansion of Connecticut’s Shoreline East rail, would provide a continuous connection of cost-effective transit for the entire New York to Boston corridor – setting the stage for rapid rail along the Northeast. While the future benefits and implications of continually improving transit options are open to an infinite number of visions and scenarios, the current benefits of transportation oriented development and commuter rail are clearer. TOD serves as an effective tool to provide a range of housing and employment opportunities, economic benefits for the entire community from higher property values, helps communities protect the environment and open space, and reduces pollutants and emissions of greenhouse gases associated with auto transit.