Appendix 6 - Transit and Growth
Transit and Growth
Transit can influence and direct where and how growth occurs. Transit routes need to reflect where ridership and development should be—not just where existing ridership and development is. Currently our development lacks direction and our transit networks plays catch up to where people are living, resulting in a high use of cars. Instead, we need to adopt a form of Transit-Supportive Development or Transit-Oriented Development that goes beyond by embracing a Light Rail Transit Skeleton for the province and within HRM.
LWT would use an elevated form of TSD and TOD. It both recognizes current growth and anticipates future growth to create a vision for future development in our communities and province. The reality is that Nova Scotia has a growing population, with HRM seeing the largest growth at 2.26% in 2019. Our growth poses many challenges, but it also presents a strategic opportunity for our municipalities and province to harness this growth and development through investing in a robust transit system which will help us carve the path of where we develop.
“Transit-supportive development (TSD) is a broad principle that describes a relationship between urban growth and transit. By directing urban growth to areas that are already well-served by transit.”
“Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an approach to development with a more specific definition. In Ontario,TOD is defined as a strategy for development within an 800-metre radius of major transit stations, with the highest intensity and mix of land uses concentrated within 400 metres of a major transit station.”
Evergreen - How to create vibrant transit supportive communities: A Typology & Evaluation Tool
Our province is designed around the automobile, which is rapidly becoming a trend of the past. Europe and Asia are moving forward, and it is time that we did too. The well-known Copenhagen “Finger Plan” is a successful planning intervention.
Urban development is contained within the “fingers” aligned with commuter Rail lines that extend outwards from the urban core (palm).
Green and natural areas between the fingers are preserved, and efficient transit routes are provided along developed areas.
It allows for both urban growth and ecological protection to exist in the same strategy.
Copenhagen is a excellent example of a hybrid transit strategy (cycling, buses, water-buses, metro and s trains).
