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Transit-oriented development (TOD) has gained currency in the United States as a means of promoting smart growth, injecting vitality into declining inner-city settings, and expanding lifestyle choices. TOD’s focus of locating new construction and redevelopment in and around transit nodes is viewed by many as a promising tool for curbing sprawl and the automobile dependence it spawns. Some hope that TOD can breathe new life and vitality into areas of need by channeling public investments into struggling inner-city settings. And by creating more walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods with good transit connectivity, TOD is thought to appeal to the lifestyle preferences of growing numbers of Americans, such as childless couples, those Americans belonging to “Generation X,” and empty-nesters.

That elusive concept, quality of life, is another often-heard reason why TOD should be pursued. Many Americans spend too much time getting to and from work, robbing them of time at home with families and friends. Between 1990 and 2000, the average nationwide travel time to work rose by almost 3 minutes, to 25.5 minutes. Commuters in Atlanta reported the largest increase in commute time, on average, a 5.2-minute increase. The widespread perception of many Atlantans that quality of life is rapidly eroding has prompted a number of radical changes in recent years, like the