Transit-Oriented Development in San Diego County

Abstract

Although transit-oriented development (TOD) has become an increasingly popular planning idea, very few studies have examined how localities plan for and implement transit-oriented projects. This article helps fill that gap by studying the TOD implementation process near stations on the oldest of the current generation of light rail lines in the United States—the San Diego Trolley. Some parts of the San Diego Trolley have been in operation since 1981, but there are still only a few projects that both incorporate TOD concepts and were built after planning for the nearby rail line began. TOD projects were pursued most aggressively in the City of La Mesa, largely because TOD was consistent with local goals that went beyond transportation. Elsewhere in the San Diego region, several barriers have limited TOD implementation. Overall, the cities along trolley routes, though sympathetic to regional rail objectives, have approached TOD from a perspective of local goals, opportunities, and constraints. The result is that regional TOD implementation resembles the incremental model of policy-making. One implication of the San Diego experience is that incorporating TOD concepts into station-area developments is likely to be a slow process.