City officials argue building housing near public transit helps energize neglected neighborhoods and provide affordable housing, while ensuring a steady stream of riders for transit systems and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of cars on the road.
In Washington D.C., projects have added nearly 1,500 apartments and office space since 2022. States like California and Massachusetts are reforming zoning laws to allow more housing near transit, aiming to reduce car use and improve community vibrancy.
CALIFORNIA
The Santa Monica Vermont Apartments in East Hollywood is part of an ambitious plan by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to build 10,000 homes near its transit sites by 2031. A critical part of that effort is a policy enacted nearly a decade ago that offers developers land discounts in exchange for affordable housing development and other community benefits.
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COLORADO
Colorado requires cities to allow an average of 40 dwelling units per acre within a quarter-mile of transit.
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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
In Washington D.C., the transit authority has completed eight projects since 2022 that provided nearly 1,500 apartments and a million square feet of office space. About half were in partnership with Amazon, as part of its commitment to spend $3.6 billion on affordable housing through low-cost loans and grants in Washington, D.C. and other locations. Almost all are within a half-mile of public transit stops.
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GEORGIA
Approximately 3,000 transit-oriented rental units in five properties have been developed near Atlanta's MARTA stations since 2017. There is a requirement for 20% of those to be affordable. Six more developments, mostly mixed-income, mixed-use properties, are expected to break ground in coming years. Some of those may include units for homeownership.
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MASSACHUSETTS
Boston has built several projects near transit, including Pok Oi Residents in Chinatown, a 10-minute walk to the subway and near a half-dozen bus stops. The state also passed a law in 2021 that requires 177 communities with transit stations in their towns or communities nearby to create zoning districts allowing for multi-family housing.
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TENNESSEE
Nashville received low-cost loans and grants in partnership with Amazon as part of its commitment to spend $3.6 billion on affordable housing.
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UTAH
The state requires an average density of 50 dwelling units per acre in transit reinvestment zones.
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WASHINGTON
The Puget Sound area received low-cost loans and grants in partnership with Amazon as part of its commitment to spend $3.6 billion on affordable housing. The governor earlier this year signed a bill allowing taller housing developments in mixed-use commercial zones near transit, similar to laws in Colorado and Utah.