Hudson Yards and the Power of Transit Oriented Design

     At the heart of New York City is a development that centers its design, purpose, and functionality around transit-oriented design: Hudson Yards. Hudson Yards is a development of mixed-use purposes. The building combines residential and mercantile spaces all with the concepts of modern living, sustainability, and efficient transportation which essentially defines what transit-oriented design is. Transit-oriented design, or TOD, is an urban planning theory that centers communities around transportation like train lines and bus routes. 

    Connectivity is one of the core principles of Hudson Yards. Its visitors and residents are all offered accessible and easy access to what the project has to offer. Accessibility is another element of the TOD. Husdon Yards seamlessly plugs itself into the previously existing transportation infrastructure of the city which offers sustainable options for commuting through the city for residents and visitors. 

Hudon Yards

Hudson Yards Development Corporation. Accessed November 29, 2023. https://www.hydc.org/.

    Sustainability doesn't just end with transportation options at Hudson Yards, but it also carries over to the physical buildings of the project. The buildings of Hudson Yards all adhere to green building standards incorporating sustainable materials, new technologies, and efficient energy systems. 

    The connectivity of a project allows the project to have a high population density which is an efficient way of living in terms of land usage. In a city where zoning is so strict, easily accessible transportation is a factor that can help with exceptions to zoning laws and regulations. Hudson Yards is an example of pushing the density rates of a project that is fully supported by the mass transportation options available.  

    The concept of the TOD is nothing new to architecture. It has been primarily celebrated in many Asian cities and North America is starting to adopt the ideals. It is a logical approach and a no-brainer to put residents near public transit. The concept of the TOD can function and be successful at large and small scales. 

Hudson Yards Master Plan

Real transit. Accessed November 29, 2023. http://www.realtransit.org/htptod1.php.

    Transit-oriented design actively challenges sprawl by keeping housing and development centralized to public transportation. The development of communities that are outside the limits of public transportation forces its residents to personally own and drive their cars to work every day. TOD developments, therefore, are not car-centric and their location minimizes commute times. Image the impact on New York City if every resident of the Hudson Yards community lived in a suburban neighborhood and drove to the city in their own personal cars every day. The impact on our infrastructure would make the roads and bridges crumble before they could be repaired. The carbon footprint of the city would be astronomically higher. Traffic would be even more unbearable. 

    The impact that transit-oriented design has on cities is something that cannot be measured or expressed. It is a fundamental element integrated into the fabric on a city. Where we can continue to improve is the continued integration of public transit in architecture and urban planning on everyscale imaginable. This is where we have more room for improvement in our current urban and suburban landscape.