Transit Oriented Development Planning Begins for Hillsborough County

As we continue to plan for rail transit in Hillsborough County and our region, plans for how we will develop around those transit stations also need to be created.  Transit Oriented Development, or TOD as it is often called, is an opportunity to focus growth around the planned transit investments.  Station areas become focal points for the community with a mix of uses providing opportunities for people to live, work and play all in one location.  Other communities such as Charlotte, NC and Denver, CO  have seen considerable economic development opportunities around their transit stations.

The Planning Commission is working on an effort to update our Comprehensive Plans to prepare for TOD in associated with plans for rail transit.  This is truly an example of land use and transportation planning being coordinated together.  The Planning Commission, Metropolitan Planning Organization and HART have been working together on these initiatives, related to TOD.  Workshops have been held with the Planning Commission to educate and get input from Commissioners on the planning steps needed to create opportunities for TOD in our community.  A Joint Land Use Working Group has been formulated with land use professionals from all four local governments, a number of local and regional agencies and business and community representatives. This group has been meeting to discuss the issues associated with TOD and the needed changes to our Comprehensive Plans.

The Planning Commission will be initiating plan amendments to the City of Tampa and Unincorporated Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plans in the fall of 2009, to be adopted in the spring/summer of 2010. 

These amendments and other information related to TOD can be found at: http://www.theplanningcommission.org/tod.