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Institutional Response to Transit Oriented Development in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area: Understanding Local Differences through the Prism of Density, Diversity, and Design Final Report METRANS PROJECT 17-09 December 6, 2018 Tridib Banerjee (P.I.) Deepak Bahl (Co-P.I.) Kevin Barrow Andrew Eisenlohr Janet Rodriguez Quinn Wallace Huê-Tâm Webb Jamme Sol Price School of Public Policy University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90007 Disclaimer The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the accuracy of the data and information presented herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program, the California Department of Transportation and the METRANS Transportation Center in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government, the California Department of Transportation, and the University of Southern California assume no liability for the contents or use thereof. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the State of California, USC, or the Department of Transportation. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. ii Abstract This study explores local initiatives and institutional responses to promote transit-oriented development (TOD) around the rail transit stations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The primary objective is to understand the extent and circumstances of municipal responses to achieve TOD. Secondarily, the study examines what inferences can be drawn about local response to the design and planning of TODs, their relative success, and future outlook. The methodology includes both qualitative and quantitative components. It draws on in-depth structured interviews of senior planners from seven case study cities. The quantitative analysis examines variable policy landscape enfolding 93 stations. A Guttman scalogram analysis ranks the likely application of various policy tools identified by LA Metro. The findings underscore the primacy of local policies and plans for consistency, effectiveness, and flexibility in implementation. Second, over time municipalities become increasingly sophisticated in application of TOD policies. Third, while TOD-supportive policies are necessary for development, their mere presence is not always sufficient. Fourth, fewer Guttman errors for higher density downtown locations and older stations correspond to a multi-faceted approach to TOD promotion. Lastly, the relative success or failure of TOD seemingly is the byproduct of a proactive city and market demand, coupled with community engagement. (200 words) iii Table of Contents Disclaimer ..................................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures and Tables .............................................................................................................................. v Disclosure ...................................................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 9 Re-visiting the Transit Neighborhood through the 3-D Prism .................................................................. 9 Joint Development and Market Responses ............................................................................................. 10 Critical Perspectives on Market-Driven TODs ....................................................................................... 11 Towards a Supply Side Story of Transit Neighborhoods ........................................................................ 12 Rail Transit Development and TOD in the L.A. Area ............................................................................ 13 Chapter 3: Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 15 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Scope and Case Study Selection ............................................................................................................. 15 Data Collection ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Database of TOD-supportive policies and 3-D characteristics ........................................................... 17 Interviews with local representatives .................................................................................................. 18 Chapter 4: Qualitative Analysis of Selected Institutional Responses .......................................................... 20 Compton .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Inglewood ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Long Beach ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Los Angeles ............................................................................................................................................ 24 Monrovia ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Pasadena .................................................................................................................................................. 26 Santa Monica .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 5: Quantitative Analysis of Institutional Responses ...................................................................... 33 5.1 Providing Descriptive Statistics for Station Areas ............................................................................ 33 5.2 An Introduction to Guttman Analysis ............................................................................................... 35 5.3 General Results of Guttman Analysis ............................................................................................... 36 5.4 Guttman Errors and Station Area Characteristics ............................................................................. 37 5.5 Using Factor Analysis to Identify Similar Policies ........................................................................... 39 5.6 Identifying Similar and Dissimilar Station Areas per Factor Analysis ............................................. 41 5.6.1 Land Use and Planning Factor Scores ....................................................................................... 42 5.6.2 Transportation and Parking Factor Scores ................................................................................. 42 5.6.3 Urban Design Factor Scores ...................................................................................................... 43 5.6.4 Financing ................................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 6: Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 63 Chapter 7: Appendices ................................................................................................................................ 67 Appendix 1: Example of Data Request on TOD policies ....................................................................... 67 Appendix 2: Example of Data Request on 3 Ds in Case Station Area .................................................... 69 Appendix 3: Semi-Directed Interview Guide ......................................................................................... 71 Appendix 4: TOD Policy by City ........................................................................................................... 72 References ................................................................................................................................................... 78 iv List of Figures and Tables Figure 3.1 – L.A. Metro stations by type .................................................................................................... 16 Table 3.1 – Initial case study selection (16 stations, 5 station area types, 7 jurisdictions) ......................... 17 Table 3.2 – Interviews schedule (7 jurisdictions + Metro transit agency)