Capital TOD Study
Washington, DC

The District of Columbia's Office of Planning (DCOP) is working to maximize the value of transit-served areas and transform them into fully functioning transit oriented developments (TOD). To assist DCOP, Nelson\Nygaard led a team of transportation, land use, and economic development planners in a study of 35 sites as a preliminary step toward establishing new TOD zoning standards that strike the right balance between a "one-size-fits-all" approach and a cumbersome series of TOD overlays. The sites were selected to represent the range of TOD opportunities across the District—sites with different characteristics that have yet to substantially achieve their TOD-potential. The 35 sites included 22 centered around Metrorail stations and 13 that surround Metrobus corridors for which Bus Rapid Transit or Streetcar service is planned. The purpose of the study was to identify shared, as well as distinct, characteristics among these sites to better inform TOD zoning standards in support of their realization as thriving transit-oriented centers.

The Nelson\Nygaard team produced the following work products for DCOP:

• Detailed land-use, transportation, and economic profiles of each site
• Development of a Typology that classified each site based on key, TOD-supportive metrics
• Identification of opportunities for sites to transition toward higher-performing TOD Types
• A comprehensive overview of zoning and complementary strategies to address identified issues and opportunities

By combining an analysis of representative sites with a custom, District-focused Typology, the collective study products provide DCOP with the means to develop effective zoning tools that respond to the strengths and needs of not just these 35 sites, but all TOD opportunity sites across the District.

Download Project Profile Sheet (PDF)