Leveraging transit-oriented development to build productive cities

Indian cities are on the brink of a transportation revolution, with a projected expenditure of ₹3 trillion set to be spent on approved metro rail projects. To leverage investments in mass transit and maximise the economic benefits as well as improve quality of life in cities, the Government of India approved the National Transit Oriented Development Policy and Metro Rail Policy in 2017, encouraging the adoption of TOD as a key urban planning and growth management strategy. WRI India’s recent publication titled ‘Jobs near metro rail transit in Bengaluru: Enabling an accessible and productive city’ underscores the critical need for integrated spatio-economic planning and bringing jobs closer to transit through TOD, given its significant benefits and co-benefits. The study also assesses current job proximity and density along the city’s operational and under-construction metro network which are Phases 1, 2, and 2A-2B, and offers insights into the locational considerations for businesses and the benefits, trade-offs, and market or regulatory challenges they face in locating near metro stations. In Bengaluru, the impending revision of the city’s master plan provides a valuable opportunity to set aspirational targets for jobs near transit and strategise transit network extensions to connect existing and emerging high-density job clusters.