Project for Public Spaces

Thinking Beyond the Station

A Project for Public Spaces Initiative

Public transit is a vital civic resource and forms a focal point for community activity. Transit ridership around the country is skyrocketing, and communities are deciding to invest in expanding and upgrading their transit systems.

Demographic, environmental, and economic trends will continue to push for transit expansion and the intensification and revitalization of neighborhoods served by transit.

PPS, in partnership with Reconnecting America, is undertaking a major initiative called “Thinking Beyond the Station” that addresses the challenges of integrating transit and development into communities by promoting a philosophy of “community-supportive transit” to guide transportation and community planning decisions. This approach focuses on influencing the planning and design of transit facilities and station areas in order to create valuable public places, including opportunities for placemaking and capturing the value of public transportation investments for local communities.

THINKING BEYOND THE STATION CAMPAIGN GOALS

The overarching goal of Thinking Beyond the Station is to fully integrate transit stations into the communities they serve through transit-supportive urban design, architecture, public art, and innovative management techniques. This involves educating transit planners, transit board members, and transit policy decision-makers about the elements that create vital places around transit stations and fee-for-service pilot projects to implement these principles.

The initiative also aims to educate the design and development community and the general public about transportation planning, urban design, and the opportunities to create community assets around public transit stations. In so doing, it will expand the understanding of the technical decisions such as alignment, station location and design factors that contribute to increased transit ridership and community value. Additionally, by advocating for policy changes that support the funding and construction of transit facilities, Thinking Beyond the Station provides real and tangible community benefits through the integration of transit facilities into surrounding communities.