Application of the concept of transit oriented development to a suburban neighborhood

Abstract

Abstract Urban sprawl and auto mobilization have led to an increase in the number of journeys made by private motorized vehicles, thereby increasing congestion, increasing greenhouse gas emissions; and more, resulting in negative environmental, social and economic impacts. Sustainable growth can act as a potential countermeasure to the aforementioned problems, and a crucial element for a sustainable future is coordination between land use planning and transportation system planning. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a viable tool for achieving said future. The approach of TOD as the basis for a sustainable city is a good transit system along with rediscovering ways in which planning and design can better incorporate less automobile-dependent land use. Thus, TOD is a process of reconnecting transportation and land use, and can be considered as a potential solution for revamping suburban neighborhoods by developing a new alternative transit system conforming to the principles of TOD. In this paper, the suburban neighborhood of Powai in Mumbai city, India, is evaluated in its present condition in light of TOD criteria. Alternative transit systems are modeled, and before-and-after performance of the neighborhood is evaluated using measures of TOD. Using the strategic travel demand model for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), scenarios are created focusing on the land use and transport development in the study area as: Business-as-usual (base), development in land use through FSI and density but transport system same as that of base (Horizon), and development of both land use and transport system in the form of alignments of an alternative transit system (Horizon). Results obtained from alignment considerations for an alternative transit system show that the frequencies for a system of bi-directional streetcars, with only one car running along every alignment within the study area, are marginally lower than those of existing local bus routes currently serving the area. Further, results from preference surveys show high propensity of people to shift to a new transit mode, even if the old mode was a private vehicle; due to a high subjective value of time. This study aims at providing a solution for revamping a suburban neighborhood for its revitalization and sustainable growth, using TOD.