Impact of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) on Public Open Spaces

Cities are the prime source of urban and economic development. Urbanization and population growth have led the cities into the transitional stage. Urban sprawl, traffic congestion, pollution, declining city infrastructure, and increasing migration are some of the significant challenges Indian cities are facing. Urbanization in India is also evident and at an alarming pace. The change can be witnessed through the extending limits of the cities, followed by tremendous development. Land being the most scarce resource, urban sprawling is an adverse phenomenon. To address this aspect of urbanization and curb its challenges, in the past few years, transit-oriented development (TOD) has been proven to be an effective planning tool that deals with a micro- and macro-level strategy that creates self-sustaining units. The efficient utilization of transit requires efficient catchment areas. Despite the numerous advantages of public transport, increasing the modal share of public transport is a major challenge that Indian cities are facing. To ensure efficient catchment, it is essential to address the transitional spaces that navigate to transit. The spatial planning of the city consists of two significant aspects: built spaces and open spaces. The study focuses on developing the framework through the existing literature and case studies, where public open spaces and transit accessibility integrated with TOD demonstrate efficient implementation. It also focuses on understanding the relationship of the built forms that navigates the movement of the people toward transit. The findings show how built form plays a vital role in improving the efficiency of the transit.