MBomis wrote:

There is no one singular solution to Utah’s Housing Crisis. Rather, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has identified five “best practices” for meeting the housing affordability challenge in Utah. This article will explain how transit-oriented developments not only increases affordable housing but also decreases transportation costs, is good for the environment and revitalizes neighborhoods.

Housing affordability is not, unfortunately, Utah’s only problem. For the past several years, transportation has also become a concern, as traffic congestion and highway construction make it difficult and expensive to drive to work, home, and school. On top of that, the state’s air quality has occasionally been the worst in the nation, and sometimes, the world. 

One solution to those issues is transit-oriented development. By planning compact, mixed-use developments anchored around transit hubs and walkable communities, we can work to solve multiple problems at once. TODs are an incredibly effective solution to four of Utah’s most pressing problems: