Last week, over 65 people joined us at our office for a TOD Talk hosted by the Young Innovators, our associate board, and the Young Professionals in Transportation. The event featured a panel discussion on what can make transit-oriented development work for all ages. It featured expert panelists from three generations: Millennial Kyle Smith, CNT’s Economic Development Project Manager; Gen-Xer Andrew Vesselinovitch, Urban Designer and Project Manager at Ross Barney Architects; and Baby Boomer Jacky Grimshaw, CNT’s Vice President for Policy. The panel was moderated by Chris Dillion from Campbell Coyle Real Estate.

The conversation centered around what each generation wants out of cities. As Grimshaw pointed out, Millennials may prioritize access to bars and restaurants, but she’s more interested in park space and easy access to her grandchildren. All three panelists stressed the need for diverse housing options that can accommodate people in all stages of life, from single young professionals to growing families to empty nesters.

Part of the problem, the panelists said, is getting the needs of each group heard in planning processes. Smith mentioned that he is often the only Millennial in planning and policy meetings that include discussions of what Millennials want. The other major challenge is that cities often have restrictive zoning laws that add barriers to transit-oriented development and force developers to build more parking spaces than they necessarily need.