The Role of Transportation Planning and Policy in Shaping Communities

Authors

Naomi Cytron, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

Download PDF
(283 KB)

August 12, 2010

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.