Transit Villages are sprouting up around the Bay Area and in other locals. They offer a convenient option for those who would choose not to.... Transit Villages are sprouting up around the Bay Area and in other locals. They offer a convenient option for those who would choose not to drive, but can't afford the high rents in places like San Francisco. From the Fruitvale Transit Village near Oakland, residents can take BART to work and have enough convenience retail nearby to get most items they need without a car. Still, transit villages may not live up to expectation because of political and community pressures for lower densities, less retail and more office space.

With all the hubbub about transit villages, let's not forget to fully realize the original transit villages--downtown. There's no need for this realization in places like San Francisco, but in other cities with cores empty of residents, a little work and some marketing can help residents rediscover the convenience of urban living being found in new transit villages.

Bay Area Transit Village Article in Contra Costa Times