Ecosystem services and Peter Calthorpe’s model of transit-oriented development : prospects and challenges for city planning

This study explores the non-monetary values assigned by designers, planners, developers, and policy makers in integrating ecosystem services into the design and development of urban transit-oriented development (TOD). This thesis also investigates the theoretical and practical design strategies that incorporate ecosystem services into Urban TODs. Methods used for research and data collection included reviewing existing literature relevant to the subject matter, conducting interviews with policy makers, academics, and design professionals, and exploring two specific examples of progressive, urban, “green,” TODs in the Pacific Northwest. This study concludes with ideas for future research into the integration of ecosystem services into urban TOD planning, and potential urban environmental policies that can be adopted by municipalities to maintain and strengthen the ecosystem services of the growing metropolis.