What Kind of Transit-Oriented Development? Using Planning History to Differentiate a Model for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is frequently cited as a planning strategy which facilitates sustainability transitions on urban and regional levels. Its supporters emphasize its innovative nature, but this tends to downplay the importance of the long history of transit-oriented strategies. This study examined whether scrutinizing planning history, particularly regarding rural–urban interplay, can differentiate TOD strategies and facilitate a discussion on desirable kinds of future TOD. The analysis used the case of the town Skurup in Sweden, tracing its partial dependencies on past planning and urban development through archival studies, maps, interviews and field studies. Particular attention was paid to the establishment of the rurban village in the late 19th century and to modern planning in the 1960s. It was concluded that the “divergence” from the TOD strategy of the former period and the “similarities” with modern planning need to be critically discussed in developing future TOD strategies. Based on the case, strategies for going beyond modern planning and referring more clearly to earlier TOD approaches are suggested, not least in order to maintain the cultural heritage of the town and its hinterland.