Many cities in the San Francisco Bay Area that have benefited from the public investment in a rapid transit station or rapid transit corridor are beginning land use planning processes near transit. Public funding, such as MTC's Station Area Planning program, is supporting many of these processes and is providing important policy parameters that broadly outline the appropriate land uses near transit.

With so many planning processes starting up around transit stations in the Bay Area, the Great Communities Collaborative must be selective in determining in which planning processes to engage. Collaborative partners want to select station areas where there is the greatest potential to achieve visible results in a reasonable time and serve as models for the dozens of plans underway or in the pipeline.

Also critical to consider is an honest assessment of the time and money investment that may be required by Collaborative partners at a site. Determining whether partners have the resources needed over the expected planning process will help determine the Collaborative's involvement at a site.

The following guidelines will inform and guide the site selection process:

1. Planning process/Opportunity: A detailed planning process, such as a Specific Plan with environmental review, is already underway or is slated to begin within the year and preferably already funded.
2. Strategic Importance (Size/Infill Capacity): The amount of transit oriented development that could occur in this location would have significant impact on the region. The planning area is entirely or largely within ½-mile of an existing or planned rapid transit station (including bus rapid transit). The project has the potential for a significant number of homes and jobs.
3. Stakeholder Commitment/Readiness: Some key stakeholders have expressed support for significant new transit-oriented development at the station area or along a key transit corridor.
4. Community Partners/Past or Present Focus of Work: There is at least one community group, or local arm of a larger group, that wants to participate actively in the process. Special consideration will be given where a Collaborative partner has a prior relationship in a location and/or has been heavily engaged in significant work in a jurisdiction.
5. Neighborhood Diversity: For the Initiative as a whole, we want to be involved in neighborhoods that represent existing and expansion stations, urban and suburban settings, different types of rapid-transit, different parts of the region, and different socio-economic circumstances.
6. Replicability: Prioritize station areas that have clear implications for other areas, both within the region and around the country.
7. Campaign follow-up: Prioritize station areas where there is overlap with other campaigns to change the framework for growth, such as MTC’s TOD policy and NPH’s Inclusionary Housing Initiative.
8. Need: There is strong indication that Collaborative involvement in the project will add value, considering the other stakeholders involved.