Integrate Transportation and Land Use Planning at All Scales

Every community, neighborhood, and site is different, and both development and transportation should respond to the unique set of characteristics in each location. Different scales of land use and transportation planning also have different tools and approaches available.

Regional Scale

At the regional scale, decisions are made about where and how to grow in the long-term. Transportation priorities set at this scale shape future decisions at the city, corridor, and site scale. Regional planning decisions bring together a wide range of stakeholders, from local governments to grassroots advocacy groups. In the Washington region, planning at this scale involves all of the COG member jurisdictions and TPB members. Regional resources for connecting transportation and land use include long-range plans, but also technical resources on addressing issues of concern for the whole region, such as affordable housing.

City/Corridor Scale

Transit corridors are planned at the scale of a corridor, which may involve multiple local jurisdictions. Cities and counties make decisions about where new development should occur and which areas are in need of revitalization as they prepare land use and transportation plans to guide long- and short-term growth. Transportation and land use decisions at this scale involve many stakeholders, from local jurisdictions and transit agencies to neighborhood groups and individual citizens.

Neighborhood Scale

Detailed plans for land use and transportation are often made at the neighborhood scale. Station area plans, sector plans, and streetscape plans are all implemented at the neighborhood scale. Decisions about the intensity of new development or the character of key streets impact the whole of the neighborhood. Neighborhood-scale planning can also incorporate planning for community benefits, such as affordable housing.

Site Scale

Transportation and land use connections are ultimately implemented at the scale of individual sites. Development connects with surrounding streets, transit stations connect with public spaces and surrounding buildings, and streets create the framework for development.

Local/Regional Examples

The Washington region has examples of transportation and land use projects at every scale. The Washington region database provides an ongoing catalogue of these projects.