Community Investments: Vol. 22 No. 2: Summer 2010

The Role of Transportation Planning and Policy in Shaping Communities

Abstract: This article reviews some of the social and environmental costs of transportation planning over the past half-century, and highlights some promising trends in planning and policy development at the local and federal level. These legislative measures, incentives, and new patterns of growth—including transit-oriented development (TOD)—are poised to remedy some past harms by better aligning transportation, housing, and environmental considerations. Equitable TOD, though not a silver bullet, has particular potential to enhance access for low-income communities to employment, education, and other opportunities, while at the same time supporting environmentally sustainable urban growth patterns.

Author: Naomi Cytron, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Date of Publication: August 12, 2010

Last Updated: August 12, 2010