FEATURE ARTICLE, DECEMBER 2005

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
An architect examines the planning components that make up a successful transit village.
David J. Minno

As buildable land becomes more scarce and chic baby boomers and young singles continue to seek upscale urban addresses convenient to work and play, more developers are turning their attention to transit villages. High fuel prices have added momentum to the idea of living in town close to public transportation.

Developer S. Hekemian Group oversaw the development of Cranford, New Jersey's Riverfront Redevelopment Area, a 3.5-acre parcel situated on South Avenue across from the New Jersey Transit station. Minno & Wasko provided architectural services.

The other plus is that many of the aforementioned baby boomers who are demanding this type of lifestyle aren't afraid to pay high ticket prices to attain it.

With all these pluses, it's easy to see why transit villages would be a good fit for developers. However, there are also components essential to the success of a transit village with which those who have specialized in traditional residential communities may not be familiar.

While these components can be numerous and complicated, they can be easily overcome with proper planning and an architect who is sensitive to the process.

“Transit Villages in the 21st Century” authors Michael Bernick and Robert Cervero define the concept as “a compact, mixed-use community, centered around the transit station that, by design, invites residents, workers and shoppers to drive their cars less and ride mass transit more.”

The notion that a successful transit village must be compact brings about an important point — scale. Despite the density, a successful transit village must be designed on a human scale.

In Minno & Wasko's recent project in downtown Princeton, New Jersey, for which a Smart Growth Award was given, a human scale was achieved by reducing the visual impact of the structure by making the color of the top floor of the residential component's façade lighter than the lower levels. Also, the ground floor was cut back to allow for a covered walkway connecting the garage to the adjacent borough public library.

Also, streetscapes should never be faceless. Adding porches, planters and stoops to the exterior façade   not only creates an attractive façade, it also communicates a psychological message that someone owns or cares for this area, which adds comfort and encourages pedestrian traffic.

Scale and a sense of security also extend to parking and unit accessibility. Consider alley-loaded garages for townhouses and direct access to larger parking garages for condo flats and apartments. There's nothing more cold and unfriendly than a streetscape marred by the sight of a parking structure.

Live/work units are another way to keep transit villages compact. In the second phase of Minno & Wasko's Princeton project, plans are underway to incorporate retail spaces with adjoining upstairs apartments, so merchants can live directly above their stores.

Speaking of merchants, a successful transit village should offer services that fit needs rather than wants. Plan retail spaces well. High-end retail and five-star restaurants may add cachet to a project, but the lack of a dry cleaner, bank or grocery store could turn it into a ghost town.

One great example of how this service function can be satisfied can be found at the Metuchen, New Jersey, train station. There's actually a concierge service where rail passengers can drop off dry cleaning or mail at the station in the morning and pick it up on the way home.

Another key component for the success of a transit village is the public spaces that it will feature.

Developers should understand that, when they are embarking on a transit village project, they are creating, or re-creating, a piece of the social fabric that the entire community will come to call its own.

Providing common areas such as a landscaped park or plaza are essential. In Princeton, Minno & Wasko created a beautifully landscaped public park in front of the residential/commercial component. Though simple in design, its creation was something the firm agonized over.

There were about 10 designs for the landscaped square. Some designs included grass, others pavement. The controlling idea was to design a public zone that invited activities from the surrounding buildings to “bleed” out into the square. Minno & Wasko created a space where librarians could hold story time or the restaurant could feature outdoor dining.

Parking is another consideration. A successful transit village should include ample parking for shoppers and commuters alike. Remember, the mark of a successful commercial component of a transit village is that even people who don't live there will want to use it.

The proper housing mix is also key. While the majority of buyers and renters that these projects attract are looking for high-end luxury, it's important to pay attention to exactly what they are looking for.

Recently, Minno & Wasko worked on a project aimed at the 55+ set that originally featured three-level townhouses with stairs. Research shows that, while a luxury townhouse is appealing to this demographic group, staircases aren't.

The problem was remedied by replacing some townhouses with condo flats and adding luxurious private elevators to the remaining three-level units.

It is also important to pay close attention to the affordable housing needs of the area in which the transit village will be established.

Another key component to the success of a transit village is giving local residents and officials a voice in the process. This is participatory planning and one must have a team that is sensitive to the rapid give-and-take dynamic that characterizes it.

The transit village, or any redevelopment project for that matter, is going to have neighbors who have been there for years. When proposing a project, make sure these residents have a way to offer feedback.

In Minno & Wasko's redevelopment projects, the firm has done everything from holding public meetings into the wee hours of the night, meeting with residents, writing down their ideas and, at times, even sketching them out right then and there. Minno & Wasko has even used a Web site as a tool for soliciting public comment.

These are just a few details that one must consider when planning a transit village. With the right amount of forethought and a design team that knows what to expect, these projects can be a profitable success.

David J. Minno, A.I.A., is a principal at Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners of Lambertville, New Jersey.


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