LA Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC)

Core idea

Incentive zoning near transit

Why it matters

Scaled housing production near rail

Description

An incentive zoning programme for the City of Los Angeles, in force from 2017 as required by the voter-approved Measure JJJ of 2016. The Transit Oriented Communities guidelines grant developers additional density, height and reduced parking near major transit stops in exchange for including affordable units on site, with the incentives scaled by proximity to rail and frequent bus service. It applies as-of-right across qualifying areas of the city rather than through site-by-site negotiation.

Significance

TOC became one of the most productive affordable housing incentive programmes in the United States, demonstrating that predictable, by-right density bonuses can shift market production towards transit corridors in a famously low-density, car-oriented city. It is frequently cited in the American 'yes in my backyard' and state upzoning debates as evidence for incentive-based, transit-linked reform, while critics question its depth of affordability and its effects on existing renters near stations.

What shaped it

• Transit-oriented development (TOD) (1993)
• Inclusionary zoning (from 1971)
• Zoning (1884 Germany / 1916 NYC)

Sources

• https://planning.lacity.gov/plans-policies/transit-oriented-communities-incentive-program
• https://la.streetsblog.org/2017/03/15/l-a-planning-dept-releases-new-jjj-driven-transit-oriented