SvN’s ‘Transit Roots’ exhibition peels back the curtain to show how transit can be delivered in a way that supports healthy, thriving communities. Transit is a powerful force for shaping our cities, spurring the creation of new housing, public spaces, jobs, and space for local businesses. These projects also have their challenges, displacing property owners or tenants, and can be costly to construct.

Using a combination of 3D models, exhibits, and digital representations, and interactive components,’Transit Roots’ showcases an approach for delivering positive social change through major transit projects and how communities, designers, landowners, developers, decision-makers, and governments maximize these project’s positive benefits. It focuses on five core principles.

Connecting people – A welcoming public realm that supports civic life and conveys a sense of pride is essential.

Inclusive community building – Our communities thrive when everyone has an equal footing and access to economic opportunities, community services, housing, and parks. Transit-oriented development advances this objective by integrating uses like daycares, market and affordable housing, schools, grocery stores, parks, and businesses to reduce travel times and give people more time back in their days.

Reducing risk – Building housing, commercial, and retail space can be risky, especially so when it needs to be coordinated with transit systems and construction schedules. Reducing risk is critical to achieving a viable project that the private sector can implement.

Stabilizing our climate – Buildings and transportation systems contribute a significant amount of carbon emissions annually. While transit is one of our lowest carbon transportation modes, it can go further in implementing low-carbon design, from building materials to massing, and landscape strategies to manage water flows and regenerate ecosystems.

Responsibility – An agency or team of agencies working together in a coordinated fashion is an essential ingredient for successful transit-oriented development.