Palm Beach Gardens Transit-Oriented Development

With a Tri-Rail rail station planned for Palm Beach Gardens, the City worked with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority to plan for both the new station and a vibrant Transit  Oriented Development (TOD) community within a half-mile radius around the stations. WGI was retained to incorporate the TOD Master Plan into the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code (LDC). WGI worked closely with City staff to craft development and design policies and regulations that provide appropriate densities, intensities, and a calibrated mix of uses that will support transit and mobility options. Regulations will transform the area over time from an auto-oriented suburban commercial area, to a lively and walkable mixed-use community.

WGI developed a new Land Use Element Objective establishing a Palm Beach Gardens Train Station District, and policies setting forth the following:  

• land use mix intensity and density ranges for retail, office, residential, hotel, and civic/park space;

• incentives for preferred development forms; • identification of TOD-supportive uses;

• establishment of a walkable street pattern with short blocks and pedestrian emphasis;

• design/development standards to emphasize sense of place and weather protection

• sustainable development and energy efficiency standards.  

These strategies will be implemented into the LDC through a zoning overlay with a strong graphic element to better communicate TOD design principles. WGI staff also developed recommendations to identify and correct language in the  Comprehensive Plan and LDC that incorporated the TOD concept.