Transit-Oriented Development, Public Participation, and Mobile Home Residence: A Case Study of a Vulnerable Community in Fort Worth, Texas

Source abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings Although transit-oriented development (TOD) can help cities combat sprawl and increase livability, it could also negatively affect residents. Mobile home residents might be especially vulnerable, including to displacement. Using qualitative methods, we examined differences and similarities between institutional and community perceptions of a proposed TOD in a Fort Worth (TX) mobile home park near a planned transit node. First, we analyzed documents from the city, a metropolitan planning organization, a local transit agency, and the state to understand their planning priorities for the surrounding neighborhood. We then conducted focus groups with local mobile home residents to understand their perceptions of the TOD planning process. We identified conflicts between the documentation of community outreach and how residents characterize their knowledge of the plan. Our insights highlight the importance of qualitative methods for gathering insights from vulnerable residents and for making transportation planning and policy effective and inclusive.Takeaway for practice Planners should take greater care to ensure vulnerable residents participate in TOD planning processes, especially in the earliest stages. Although TODs might produce benefits, these often accrue to future occupants and ignore the priorities of current nontransit riders, especially in Sun Belt cities. Our findings also suggest the importance of targeted outreach to low-income renters, including people—like mobile home residents—who have unique vulnerabilities to displacement and who do not receive official notification of zoning changes. Finally, cities with restrictive regulatory environments for mobile homes might especially consider how their practices expose residents to housing precarity and how TOD planning can mitigate impacts.