Urban Land Institute Offers 3rd Annual TOD Summit Next Week

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has been a hot topic in Los Angeles, with planners noting that most of the city's development will be around transit nodes in the coming decades.  Last week, Streetsblog featured a three-part series from Joel Epstein.  Next week, the Urban Land Institute and University of Southern California offer a symposium entitled "Staying on Track and Moving Forward" on how TOD continues to impact Los Angeles.

In a way, TOD has been at the heart of the debate between Metro and Beverly Hills over subway routing.  Opponents of the route passed by Metro point to JMB Realty's relationship with the Mayor, and with property adjacent to the rail stop, as a reason for the route that runs to Constellation Ave. and Avenue of the Stars.

Among the featured speakers at the conference is none other than Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a proponent of creating a transit oriented Los Angeles.

“In a city where the motto once seemed to be ‘Build Now, Plan Later’, we are committed to doing things differently," explains Mayor Villaraigosa, a keynote speaker at the conference. "We are closely linking our ever-expanding transit system with the planning of vibrant, livable neighborhoods. As we continue to move forward with making L.A. a true TOD city, we are dedicated to making better decisions about where and how to build our communities.”

Among the evidence presented at the TOD Summit will be new data on developments expanding around the Red Line and new Expo Line from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). There will also be news about how Measure R, which provides Los Angeles County with $40 billion in critical transit and highway funding, is transforming our communities with jobs and connectivity.

The Summit will be held Thursday, June 7, 2012, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center, 3607 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA, 90089. Registration ranges from $30 to $70. Registration and information is available here  or by calling (213) 542-4694.

“This year’s TOD Summit will provide additional forceful evidence of the crucial value of transportation development,” said TOD Summit Co-Chair Scott Ginsburg, Vice President, Development & Acquisitions at Combined Properties, Inc. “With the elimination of California redevelopment agencies, transportation construction and transit oriented districts have become a critical engine to creating economic development while incorporating smart urban planning philosophies. TODs not only create jobs, they create them in exactly the right places: Where people can get to them.”

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 40,000 members representing all aspects of the land use and development disciplines.