Correlation between transit-oriented development (TOD), land use catchment areas, and local environmental transformation

Abstract

Transit-oriented development (TOD) has been recognised as a sustainable planning approach and that is typically designed for a whole city. Individual land use characteristics and the causations have often been ignored. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to explore the factors that influence the land use catchment area (LCA) characteristics at a station neighborhood level. First, it contributes a methodology to measure the LCA by introducing a new concept. The density gradient was introduced to generate the scale and compactness degree of each station. Second, it provides a theoretical framework for understanding the causes of different LCAs. The partial least squares (PLS) regression model was employed to explore the accessibility effects. By analysing density gradient curves, it reveals that stations grew to fit the negative exponential function. Regarding the scale and form degree of LCAs, the impact of accessibility before and after a station construction have been corroborated. Moreover, the effects of facilities function before construction, distance from main roads, and elevated stations have been emphasized. The results provide support for a more sophisticated concept of catchment area relating to land use at the level of an individual TOD station, while shedding light on the benefits of those engaged in the future design of TOD with due consideration of the local physical environments.