Are Urban Renewal Projects in Taipei City Transit Oriented?

Abstract

Urban renewal (UR) and transit-oriented development (TOD) are critical issues for improving the built environments and socioeconomic conditions of developed cities. This research focuses on UR in Taipei City, Taiwan, and discusses whether these UR projects are “transit-oriented.” This research examines all 163 UR projects completed in Taipei City as of the end of 2020 to investigate the accessibility of UR to public transportation, including mass rapid transit (MRT), city buses, and YouBike. The findings demonstrate that city buses are more accessible than MRT within UR sites; therefore, city bus networks are considered the dominant transit option for present-day TOD policy in Taipei City. This research suggests resolving the uneven distribution of MRT networks across regions within Taipei City. Further, residential land use shows a worthwhile accessibility to public transportation. It is important to optimize the use of the existing city bus networks to promote the TOD model of UR. Further, the findings suggest that it may be effective to promote connections between MRT, city buses, and YouBike, especially in areas zoned for residential land use, as this could enhance policies based on the TOD model of UR.