A Multiscale,Transit-Oriented Development Definition Based on Context-Sensitive Paradigm

This study investigates the connection between transit-oriented development (TOD) input and output and proposes a multiscale TOD definition to address the underutilization of the definition in binary TOD–non-TOD. Data about neighborhood characteristics, a regional travel survey, and two experts’ surveys are used to select and rate variables that impact communities in a study of 33 neighborhoods in Baltimore City, Maryland. Defining scaled-TOD is still nascent and very subjective at this moment because what affects TOD—infrastructure and policies—is controlled and managed by agencies that do not use TOD performance data (outputs) that depend on the users’ personal choice. TOD outputs such as reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT) or increased transit ridership depend on the users’ choice based on their perception of the effective quality and accessibility of the infrastructure (inputs). Thus, a scaled definition can explain, with a range, the relationship between various components of a context-sensitive paradigm using neighborhood-level characteristics (inputs) and the quality of the neighborhood, VMT, and the performance data (output). The multiscale TOD definition is a step toward developing a much-needed standard metric to evaluate neighborhood sustainability and use as a tool to assess needs and allocate resources in urban transportation planning. The overall analysis of the data indicated that the quality and the condition of the infrastructure influence the neighborhood output in various degrees that can be flagged by its defined level of TODness.