Transit-Oriented Development in the United States

Through a fellowship from the Urban and Regional Policy Program of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the author traveled to two U.S. metropolitan regions — Portland, OR and Washington, DC — to examine transit-oriented development (TOD). This policy paper discusses several key factors for the successful implementation of transit-oriented development. These key factors are a shared set of regional values, trust between public and private parties, a coherent long-term vision, a clear set of invectives and investments to support TOD, and effort by all involved actors for urban quality in each development.