Research Project Name
The Transit-Oriented Development Opportunity Index
What We Did
TOD can help cities reduce traffic emissions, lower the cost of housing, and increase transit use. Yet, many agencies face challenges implementing TOD due to limited resources, lack of experience, and community concerns about increasing density harming neighborhood character. To address this, Gensler’s Mobility Lab created the TOD Opportunity Index™ — a customizable, data-driven tool that helps agencies identify and prioritize TOD potential around transit stations. This GIS-based tool measures performance across five categories to produce a corresponding score for each unit of geographic analysis including transit connectivity, walkability, bikeability, development feasibility, and community health. It supports local policy customization and provides both metrics and visual outputs to foster collaboration across planning and real estate teams.
In its latest research cycle, the tool was tested with eight major U.S. transit agencies, revealing insights into political constraints, varying evaluation methods, and the power of visual storytelling in project advancement. By blending spatial analysis with design strategy, the TOD Opportunity Index offers not just a method for site selection, but a framework for interagency dialogue and public engagement.
Learn More
Team
Dylan Jones, Jaymes Dunsmore, Evan Todtz, Al-Jalil Gault, Priyanka Agarwal, Aaron Hursey, Carmen Cham, Kevin Daly
Year Completed
2025
Comments or ideas for further questions we should investigate?