The Promise and Potential of Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities

The Promise and Potential of Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities is a follow-up study to Gateway Cities in Massachusetts. Hodge Economic Consulting (now Cambridge Econometrics) was selected by MassINC to project manage a major new research project titled Stimulating Transformative TOD in Gateway Cities, with focus on Lynn, Worcester, Springfield and Fitchburg.

Opportunities to catalyze TOD in Gateway Cities, the real estate development conditions, the policies necessary to achieve transformative development, and the positive spillover effects that can have on transit ridership, land use, and efforts to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) were scrutinized.

Outside the Boston urban core, examples of investment in walkable neighborhoods with strong transit service is much less common. While the state possesses a diverse mix of passenger rail services and a large number of traditional downtowns in Gateway Cities, policies to support TOD in these locations have not been a priority for the Commonwealth, and little attention has been spent developing TOD models that respond to this context. A transformative TOD policy tailored to the dynamics of these markets has the potential to stimulate investment and revitalization, yielding economic, environmental, and fiscal benefits.