EcoRI News: Potential of Transit-Oriented Development Examined

By ecoRI News staff

A recently published study estimates the capacity for accommodating up to 73,000 new housing units and 25,000 new jobs in transit-oriented development areas in five cities and towns across Rhode Island. Transit-oriented development is a type of community development that includes a mixture of housing, office, retail and/or other amenities integrated into a walkable neighborhood and located within a half-mile of high-quality public transportation.

The year-long study was conducted by 40 graduate students in the Roger Williams University School of Architecture under the direction of professor Ginette Wessel and in collaboration with Grow Smart Rhode Island, HousingWorks RI, and planners in the five communities studied. Independent transit consultants Roger Leaf and Peter Brassard also provided extensive pro bono counsel to the effort. The estimates for accommodating housing and jobs are based on the highest of three density scenarios outlined by the students.

In 2016, HousingWorks RI published a report detailing Rhode Island's housing shortage and projecting the need for up to 40,000 new housing units by 2025, based on only modest population growth and the continued decline in average household size.

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Courtesy of EcoRI News