Transit-Oriented Development Resources
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a term used to describe land use and real estate development that occurs around stations along a transit line, but TOD is more than that. It describes a fundamental set of objectives that can be achieved through integrated transit planning, development, urban design, infrastructure improvements, and reinvestment. TOD connects transit networks and the places where people, live, work, shop, learn, and play to give the market housing and transportation choices.
TOD is often associated with rail transit and streetcars, but studies show that TOD can occur for many different modes of transit, including bus rapid transit. More important than mode, it is the quality, frequency, and reliability of the transit service as well as destinations that determine the success of a transit system.
This plan establishes policy guidelines that support land use and development patterns that complement implementation of the Blue Line bus rapid transit route, maximize the economic development and public benefit of the investment, promote more in-demand (and under-supplied) walkable urban villages, and promote economic mobility for those who can most benefit from the educational and employment opportunities the Blue Line connects.
This plan amends the Marion County Comprehensive Plan to establish policy guidelines that support land use and development patterns that complement implementation of the Red Line bus rapid transit route, maximize the economic development and public benefit of the investment, promote more walkable urban villages demanded by market preferences, and promote economic mobility for those who can most benefit from the educational and employment opportunities the route connects.
The MPO teamed up with MIBOR Realtor Association to survey residents of Central Indiana to find out about what type of housing they’re in now and whether it matches their preferred housing type. The results help us determine whether the type of housing that is actually being built in Central Indiana matches the kind of housing that people want to live in, and whether it’s being built in the kinds of places where people want to live.
The TOD Design Guidelines identify and explain transit-oriented development design principles in a straightforward and highly-visual document, providing an educational guidebook that informs and inspires quality design at strategic locations throughout Marion County’s transit corridors.
This checklist is designed to help evaluate the specific elements that go into transit-supportive station area plans and development proposals. An important element of successful TOD is engagement of the residents, the development community, the transit agency, and local governments to ensure that new investment achieves a balance of objectives. This checklist provides a menu of elements contributing to high-quality TOD that acknowledges the importance of good design, equitable development, market demand, and multi-modal transportation needs.
The map locates federally-designated Opportunity Zones and planned bus rapid transit stations in Marion County. Transit stations contained within Opportunity Zones represent prime locations for transit-oriented development.
The following documents review economic conditions near transit, the value per acre of land use types, economic projects, and other TOD-related economics.
Transit Planning
Transit is an important transportation option. The MPO has conducted several transit studies. The results have determined that there is a need for transit in Central Indiana, and further studies recommend where and how those improvements to both the local transit networks, as well as addition of rapid transit routes, should take place. For current transit planning projects, visit the Central Indiana Transit Plan page on this site.
Land Use Planning
For more information on how TOD applies to other planning goals—like sustainability and land use—please visit the City of Indianapolis and Marion County Comprehensive Plan. This document is maintained by the City of Indianapolis.
These resources show past TOD planning initiatives showing the progression of TOD planning in the region.
- Realizing the Potential of Transit and TOD in the Indianapolis Region was prepared by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD), under a grant from Living Cities and the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
- The TOD Strategic Plan analyzes the regional market dynamics and land use characteristics to assess the potential for transit-oriented development along the planned transit corridors.
- The TOD story map series examined the three planned bus rapid transit corridors in Marion County to evaluate current conditions and trends over time.