Transport adjacent or transit oriented?

Transport adjacent or transit oriented? Making the most of new development around railway stations

The December 2025 consultation draft of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2025) introduces the idea of housing and mixed use schemes around railway stations as an acceptable form of development outside existing settlements. NPPF 2025 states that such developments would be:

“…within reasonable walking distance of a railway station which provides a high level of connectivity to jobs and services; physically well-related to a railway station or a settlement within which the station is located; […] of a scale which can be accommodated taking into account the existing or proposed availability of infrastructure…”

This policy change is an important step towards what is often described as transit oriented development (TOD). For 15 years or more, academics and transport organisations such as Urban Transport Group (UTG) and the Campaign for Better Transport have been advocating for TOD in the UK.

What is transit oriented development and what benefits does it offer?

In its 2013 report Planning and design for sustainable urban mobility: global report on human settlements, UN-HABITAT defines TOD as:

“…compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development that is ‘oriented’, and not just adjacent to, urban rail and busway stations. Besides being the ‘jumping off’ point for catching a train or bus, TOD also serves other community purposes.”

The report states that TOD residents in the USA are four to five times more likely than the average person in their region to use a transit system to commute. TOD is also associated with reduced car ownership. And UTG’s 2019 report The place to be: how transit oriented development can support good growth in the city notes that TOD creates higher land values too.

High density in nature, TOD reduces urban sprawl while creating potential for more affordable housing and viable local businesses. It facilitates both connectivity and the activity that creates urban vibrancy and a sense of community. And – reducing reliance on cars – it offers better public transport services and, thus, increased transport choices.

A great tool for regeneration of brownfield land, TOD revitalises old urban centres. But – as NPPF 2025 indicates – it also offers a sustainable way to develop new communities outside existing settlements.

International approaches to transit oriented development

TOD is most prevalent in the USA, where developments – such as the Bull’s Eye in Arlington County, Virginia – are concentrated around railway stations. In South America, bus-based TOD is more common. And the 2013 UN-HABITAT report commends the Scandinavian-type TOD “…characterized by a large civic square that functions as a community’s hub – a gathering place for public events, such as open-air concerts, farmers’ markets, public demonstrations and civic celebrations.”

Rail-based Scandinavian TOD includes the Finger Plan in Copenhagen, Denmark – where the central station node is supported by supplementary radial nodes ‒ and the Planetary Cluster Plan in Stockholm, Sweden.

Transport oriented development in the UK

While the term TOD is not used as commonly in the UK as in some other countries, we do have examples of these developments. The best known are perhaps located in cities: Salford Quays in Greater Manchester and the redevelopment of the 67-acre former industrial site around Kings Cross station in London. Salford Quays is a tram and bus-based TOD, while the Kings Cross development is served by the London Underground, national and international rail services and plentiful bus routes.

In a more rural location, Northstowe in Cambridgeshire is currently under construction. This new town of 10,000 homes is served by the existing Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, which provides frequent, fast connections to both Cambridge city centre and Cambridge North railway station.

Missed opportunities for TOD

NRP director Dr David Knight’s recent PhD research focused on transport planning practice in large scale housing developments in England. His investigations showed that many new housing schemes are located away from public transport corridors. In a representative sample of developments, just 17% were within a normal walking distance of a rail station (800m). Only 49% were within a 2km distance, and 69% were within 3km.

Looking beyond rail to local transit services, only 38% of the sample developments were located within 400m of a bus, tram or underground corridor offering services at least three times an hour. And less than half of the schemes were within a 700m walk from a local transit corridor.

Even when developments are situated adjacent to a transit node, they may not be transit oriented. A good example of a missed TOD opportunity is the new town of Cranbrook in East Devon, a development of 2900 homes with its own new railway station. But the station feels remote from the built-up area ‒ discouraging active travel ‒ and is not on the route of Cranbook’s local bus service.

In contrast, at nearby Newcourt, the railway station is sited closer to the new development. Along with the absence of car parking at the station, this makes active travel a natural choice for rail passengers.

Transport planning to maximise the benefit of development around railway stations and other transit nodes

NPPF 2025 refers to development around railway stations, which is less specific than TOD. Nonetheless, this is a very positive step in planning policy. But it’s important to remember that adjacency to a transit node won’t automatically result – for example – in decreased car ownership and increased local active travel within a new housing development.

NRP’s expert transport planners, therefore, take a vision-led approach to maximise the potential benefits of a transport adjacent scheme. This means providing safe, attractive walking and cycling routes to the station. It means offering plentiful, secure cycle parking. And it means supporting high density housing with limited car parking.

TOD has the potential to make a real difference to new housing developments in England. Let’s build on the opportunity identified by NPPF 2025 to create attractive, sustainable, transport oriented new communities.

Photo credit: David Knight