DIALOG’s intrepid urbanist Antonio Gomez-Palacio recently found time between speaking engagements and project work to pen this piece for the March Issue of Municipal World. The article covers topics in urbanism including the importance of transit to developing intelligent, healthy, resilient cities. Find an excerpt as well as a link to a PDF of the full story below.

“Increasingly, cities are investing in transit as a means to transform their communities and deliver on a host of city-building objectives. Conventional transit goals are expanding to address the promise of liveable communities and environmental improvement, of economic and social development, as well as of quality living and public health. This represents a paradigm shift, which I will ceremoniously coin as “Transit Urbanism.”

This more rounded vision is fuelled by a growing number of success stories, often in cities that are considered lofty vacation destinations such as Lyon, Copenhagen, Melbourne, and New York. And now, a number of unsuspecting Canadian cities have recognized the potential and are taking the initiative: Mississauga, Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, and others.

Will they get it right? Can they truly deliver?

The answer to these questions will depend on the extent of the commitment and vision of each city. Ultimately, transit investment only makes sense when coupled with a comprehensive strategy for directing growth – an urban structure – and a public realm that supports walking, active transportation, and transit use. Simply put, if there is not a critical mass of riders, transit will fail. Hence, Transit Urbanism is the focused imperative to comprehensively address the integration of transit, land use, and urban design.”

Full PDF of “The Opportunity of Transit Urbanism” by Antonio Gomez-Palacio  courtesy of Municipal World. For more information contact Antonio Gomez-Palacio.