Thanks to Grist for sharing this news. Early last month, the USGBC announced 10 participants in its Affordable Green Neighborhoods program, and the under-construction 9th and Berks Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) was among those selected. The program will provide the project with $25,000, along with the educational resources needed to reach LEED’s newest certification for Neighborhood Development.
The Berks TOD is planned as a mixed-use and mixed income development featuring 164 rental apartments (at least 44 will be affordable housing). The ground floor of the project is slated to become both community and retail space.
Here’s an explanation on TODs from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA):
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a national movement focused on encouraging growth and development in a way that leverages the value of local transit. It builds on the fact that those living around transit stations are five times more likely to use transit. The many benefits, including fewer cars on the road, a greater use of transit, and an improved environment, are integral to the process of adapting cities to sustainable systems.
