Buffer Zones
On Thursday, May 26 at 9:30 a.m. in the 26th Floor Council Chambers, the proposed Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance will be heard before a joint meeting of the Transportation & Infrastructure and Planning, Zoning & Economic Development Committees. This proposed ordinance will give the city more tools to foster quality development along our transit corridors.
What is transit-oriented development?
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an approach to development that promotes compact, diverse, walkable development around transit facilities to ensure that as many people as possible can access and benefit from transit investments, and that there are diverse jobs, services, and activities served by the transit system.
What is in the City’s Transit-Oriented Development Policy?
Kansas City’s draft TOD policy functions as a toolbox of strategies to get the most out of the City’s transit investments. It includes a mix of policy, planning, design practices, and investment strategies to enhance the City’s transit system and the important corridors and destinations where it runs.
How does this support walking and biking?
The TOD policy directly promotes a more walkable and bikeable Kansas City through its recommendations for dense, diverse, and well-designed communities, as well as its focus on thoughtfully designed streets and public spaces. Beyond its support for higher quality places, the TOD policy supports a seamless, coherent, and well-connected transit network. By making transit easier to use in Kansas City, the TOD policy will expand the feasibility of walking and biking as a mode of choice for everyone.
Unlike zoning amendments or the recent changes to the City’s Boulevard Standards, the TOD policy is not mandatory. While it is good public policy for supporting more transit, walking, and biking, it will also require strong public support to implement it in specific locations.
Initial drafting of the policy was about two years ago, and the City has been soliciting community feedback for many months.
You can learn more about the details of the policy at:
http://kcmo.gov/planning/todpolicy/
Also, check out the Kansas City Star’s editorial from the May 24th print edition and the 41 Action News story from Monday May 23rd.
Support for the policy is encouraged at the public hearing on Thursday, and by contacting City Council directly at council@kcmo.org