About TOD

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has been identified as a principal means of implementing the Prince George's County General Plan. The plan provides a framework for TOD at a variety of scales. On a countywide level, growth is to be managed in each of three growth policy areas referred to as Tiers. Largely within the Developed Tier, growth is recommended to occur within 24 designated growth policy centers. The General Plan recommends that all 15 Metrorail stations, as well as 2 MARC commuter rail stations, in the county are designated growth policy centers.

General Plan Principles

Vision

The vision for the Centers and Corridors is mixed residential and nonresidential uses at moderate to high densities and intensities, with a strong emphasis on transit-oriented development.

Goals

The goals of the Centers and Corridors are to: Capitalize on public investment in existing transportation system; Promote compact, mixed-use development at moderate to high densities; Ensure transit-supportive and transit-serviceable development; Require pedestrian-oriented (POD) and transit-oriented design (TOD); Ensure compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods.

Concepts

Concepts that focus appropriate development at these locations, such as transit-oriented development (TOD), are strongly advocated by this General Plan. TOD seeks to increase transit use and reduce automobile dependency by:
  • Locating homes, jobs and shopping closer to transit services
  • Locating the mix of critical land uses (live/work/shop) in closer proximity to one another
  • Establishing land use/transit linkages that make it easier to use transit (rail and bus)

Elements

Many of the characteristics and goals of TOD overlap with pedestrian-oriented design (POD) and new urbanist or traditional neighborhood development principles that focus on reducing automobile dependency by increasing the potential for bicyclists and pedestrians. Three key elements of each of these development concepts are density, diversity, and design.