As Nashville’s cost of living rises, transit should always be part of housing discussion

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a neighborhood planning strategy that aims to create mixed-use buildings with appropriate density. This approach ensures that housing, office, commercial, and public spaces are conveniently located near mobility options. TOD promotes sustainable growth by supporting well-utilized transportation and provides access to essential services like food and recreation.

While adopted plans would suggest implementation of TOD around neighborhood centers, incentives for developers to create this type of housing is not enough. Tools like Metro’s grant program, the Barnes Fund, and the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit are great for building affordable housing but are only sometimes explicit about including transportation.

To support a quality of life we hope all Nashvillians can have, it is critical for low-income households to have convenient access to transportation services. If developers choose to focus mixed-use housing projects along well-used transit corridors they can justify eliminating expensive unnecessary parking.