In Portland and Dallas, businesses were more likely to open near light rail stations, said Robert Noland, a professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He found the effect was stronger in Portland, where planners had zoned to attract new businesses and discourage parking near those businesses.
Nashville’s transit backers say encouraging dense “transit-oriented development” could help ease the county’s housing affordability crisis by building more, smaller residences. But experts point out housing costs — on a per square foot basis — tend to be higher near light rail lines.