TOD: A Way to Transform Your Community

The Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) Planning Commission released the Transit-Oriented Model Ordinance and Guidebook in October 2021 to support thoughtfully designed, mixed-use, and walkable development around the county’s 49 transit stations. Participants become familiar with the station-area typology approach used to reflect the diversity of station areas, the key design elements, and the best practices reflective of sound design. The model ordinance language can be tailored to the scale and character of each typology, making it more applicable to communities outside of Montgomery County and others seeking to encourage walkable, mixed-use development outside of station areas.

A local planning and zoning administrator – who explores TOD planning in an actual community – discusses the municipality’s experience and how the model ordinance is applied, sharing both success stories and challenges. Presenters discuss the principles, goals, and benefits of a transit-supportive community development program, including how to encourage social equity through balanced development of mixed-use and mixed-income projects in and around SEPTA station areas. The presentation considers how to promote economic development by revitalizing downtowns and urban neighborhoods, enhancing tax revenue, and ensuring environmental justice and sustainability.

NPC Peer Reviewers assigned this presentation a learning level of Foundational. For more on learning-level descriptions, visit our General Information Page.