White Paper on Regional Centers, Town Centers, and Transit-oriented Developments

A review of the general and transportation plans of 123 cities across the nation shows that the term “center” is used in connection with various geographic levels--region, city, subregion, town, community, and village. Generally, no matter the geographic level, the center is described as the densest part of an area, characterized by compact, mixed-use development, multiple transit options and employment opportunities. These centers are nuclei, drawing people, goods, and activity towards them, thus generating and attracting trips. Alternatively, the term ‘center’ is used to signify clusters of certain activities or functions--an area with a single concentrated use, such as an employment center, transit center, residential center, or entertainment center. Unlike geographic-level centers, these types of centers are not necessary dense or mixed-use. For example, a city’s Central Business District may be described as an employment or economic center; a sprawling subdivision may be considered a city’s housing or population center; and the convergence of an airport and train station may constitute a city’s transit center.