Towards a framework for evaluating potential sites for transit supportive development in South East Queensland

The regional plan for South-east Queensland has adopted the concept of transit oriented development (TOD) to manage the rapid growth in the region. This suggests a political commitment to a form of development that is supportive of mass transit and concerned with efficient land utilisation and environmental protection. In order to ensure the effectiveness of TOD projects, it is crucial that potential TOD locations are first properly evaluated. This paper has proposed a planning framework for evaluating potential TOD sites to assess their suitability as hubs for future transit oriented development. The framework for evaluation uses a combination of analytical methods of demographic, stakeholder, context and site analyses. The paper argues that TODs need to be located in areas where there is a predominance of demographic groups who are more inclined to use public transport and where there is a greater likelihood of community acceptance for higher density development. TODs should be sited in areas with the potential to attract investment in development and present low risk for investors and developers. They need to be centrally located around major transport corridors with potential for land assembly and limited constraints to development of land in terms of topography, flooding, vegetation etc. The utility of the evaluation framework as a planning tool has been tested by applying it to two inner-city locations, Woolloongabba and Coorparoo. Both these locations represent potential TOD sites identified in the draft regional plan for South-east Queensland. The framework provides a clear and transparent basis for comparing the potential of the sites and also serves to provide insights into the type of TOD suitable for each area. The paper concludes with some recommendations regarding the selection and prioritisation of TOD sites across the region