Successful TODs incorporate vertical high-density residential buildings, ground-level commercial retail space, office buildings and a mix of daily activities such as preschools, grocery stores and restaurants, conveniently accessible to both transit riders and TOD residents and visitors. TODs can ensure pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods; reduce automobile use; provide enough nearby development mass to financially support local merchants; and create transit ridership demand.

According to "Ten Principles for Livable Communities" from American Institute of Architects' Communities by Design: "Restoring, revitalizing and infilling urban centers take advantage of existing streets, services and buildings and avoid the need for existing infrastructure. This helps to curb sprawl and promote stability for city neighborhoods."

Affordable housing must be a vital component of TOD. According to a recent article in Housing Policy, Smart Development Patterns, "TODs consist of luxury apartments and condominiums targeted at high-end consumers, especially in a market where the supply for homes is tight and the demand is high." We need to develop and carry out TOD housing strategies that strike a balance between delivering affordable housing and market rate units so private investments are encouraged and financially worthwhile.

Several cities have successfully executed affordable strategies that include land banking, expedited permit review, establishing affordable rentals, tax increment financing and inclusionary zoning. They also apply incentives such as sliding-scale densities within a quarter-mile TOD development area radius which set higher densities at the center of TODs and lower densities further away. These cities also reduced or removed parking requirements to reduce construction costs and incorporate mixed-use zoning.

Unplanned TOD spawns gentrification, which means restoring and upgrading lower-value urban properties that result in displacing lower-income residents and businesses.

Affordable housing will reduce housing and transportation costs for low-income families and seniors, making it easier and cheaper to go to work. And again, to combat urban sprawl, families must be able to afford to live within the urban core, reducing traffic congestion and our carbon footprint, overall.

Therefore, the city must ensure that policies are in place and work to prevent gentrification. We must provide incentives so developers can build affordable housing and diverse communities. For these reasons, I fought for Bill 10 (2008) to include affordable-housing requirements within TOD.

Senior housing also must be a priority in TODs. Atlanta, Denver, Houston, and Baltimore have incorporated "aging in place" principles in their land use and zoning codes. Each city developed policies that make living affordable and transportation accessible to meet the needs of those 50-plus as they age, allowing them independence.

"Aging in place" refers to the ability to stay in one's own home and community and remaining independent, while growing older. Seniors need expanded and improved access to transit and public parks, walkable neighborhoods and shopping and services that are easily available.

There is no one-size-fits-all TOD template suitable for every community. Each community will have unique TOD development needs and expectations. Therefore, community-responsive planning is essential to its success.

Regional and local development plans must be updated to incorporate mass-transit facilities and support desired growth. Denver paid millions of dollars to have mass transit lines realigned to ensure development occurred where the community designated density.

The City Council is poised tomorrow to adopt Bill 10 (2008) CD2, outlining TOD for Honolulu. TOD can help us realize our goals and objectives of community development plans that need to include opportunities for affordable housing, "aging in place" principles, planned density, mixed-use, mixed-income developments and revitalization of older communities and depressed neighborhoods. By focusing density in TODs we can preserve open space, keep the country, country, and ensure long-term success of mass transit on O'ahu.

Reach Donovan Dela Cruz at (Unknown address).

Donovan Dela Cruz is City Council member for District 2, including the North Shore and Central O'ahu. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.