Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit Oriented Development Potential

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University conducted this study to review the issues and implications involved in Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit-Oriented Development Potential.

SUMMARY OF PROBLEM: The Using the Internet to Envision Neighborhoods with Transit-Oriented Development Potential project seeks to provide guidelines and examples to facilitate use of the Internet to envision places with TOD potential, building on the envisioning techniques developed and presented in MTI Report 01-15, Envisioning Neighborhoods with Transit-Oriented Development Potential.

RECOMMENDATIONS: These recommendations are made in terms of general style and approach, because the Internet is evolving so rapidly that currently available program are likely to change soon. The envisioning neighborhoods principles presented in MTI Report 01-15 are useful for Internet applications. These principles are: Use small replicate maps, charts, images, and tables to facilitate comparisons across space, time, and scale, because data are best understood in a comparative context. The suggested solution for analyzing the transit-oriented development potential of neighborhoods is twofold: First, use the evolving digital information tools (especially the Internet) and information design principles to find, filter, transform, model, and synthesize neighborhood data. Second, use small replicate maps, charts, digital images, and tables to facilitate comparisons across space, time, and scale, presenting the resulting information in a form useful for understanding conditions, making decisions, and taking action.