Road Map for Dissertation entitled “Getting the Best out of Transit

Oriented Development in Addis Ababa”

Preface
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is urban development concept, which promotes mixed use
public, residential and commercial areas, favoring public transit ridership and non-motorized
movement (walking and cycling). The purpose of this dissertation is to bring a meticulous focus
on large and multifaceted projects of TOD and prerequisite studies needed to be performed in
advance of planning and implementation in order to give informant understanding to the
stockholders who would be involved in TOD planning and implementation. Even though TOD is
defined as integration of transportation and land use in urban place designed to bring people,
activities, buildings, public space and opportunities together within easy walking and cycling
connection to nearby excellent transit stations, rigorous studies need to be generated in order to
utilized the best of the concept especially in developing country like Ethiopia where financing
management skill is too limited. TOD planning and implementation is complex in nature and
requires participation of multilayer of stockholders from federal level to local communities. For
successful planning and implementation of TOD, local government should put together all pieces
of contribution from such multi stakeholders. These processes demand an institutional structure
conductive to long-term that can sustain initiatives for long periods of time regardless of political
swings or bureaucratic reassignments. Many cities around the world especially in America,
Australia, Europe and Asia have used TOD and benefited the most out it dispute its complex
nature setting long lasting strategic vision that would sustain political swinging. However most
of these cities are in developed countries where availing resources, management skill would not
be under question.

There is a growing demand of TOD in African city, Addis Ababa after the introduction of Light
Rail Transit (LRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) under consideration for implementation. But
the situation in Addis Ababa is much different from cities in developed countries and complexity
increases even more. Therefore multiple of scrupulous researches should be performed in order
to harmonize TOD concept with current and future nature of the city with the goal to benefit the
most out of it. These researches must focus on enriching the understandings of stockholders who

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would be involved in planning and implementation of TOD. These researches should focus on
major topics that enrich the understanding of stockholders but not limited to, evaluating the
efficiency of public transport that would fit for TOD implementation in a city; TOD level of the
areas under consideration for TOD implementation; benchmarking practical model and
approaches of other cities implemented successful TOD that could be lesson for the planning and
implementation TOD in Addis Ababa; setting up long lasting strategic, TOD favoring policy and
framework (institutional, financial and legal) that would intensifies participation of private
sector. Researches should also focus on how TOD change built environment, people travel
behavior and daily activities; what are the benefits of TOD in creating more jobs and housing
opportunities for local communities and the benefit of TOD in increasing efficiency of public
service provisions such as school, medical centers, electricity, water supply, sewerage and etc…

In this dissertation the four core topics such as efficiency of public transport that would fit for
TOD implementation in a city; measuring TOD level of the areas under consideration for the
implementation of TOD; practical model and approaches of other cities implemented successful
TOD that could be learned for the planning and implementation in Addis Ababa; policy and
framework (institutional, financial and legal) included.

Evaluation of public transport system in the city helps to get the understandings of public
transport since successful TOD implementation is intertwined with efficient, fast, frequent and
connected public transport. It is a sort of prerequisite to proceed with TOD or identify
improvement measures needed to be taken to fill the gap to make public transport system fit for
TOD. In case of this dissertation the impact and of Addis Ababa LRT in Addis Ababa public
transport system and efficiency have been evaluated. The result demonstrated the impact is
insignificant and the operation is ineffective but can be improved by adaptive measures such as
adding more trains into the system, availing finance to purchase spare parts, integrating LRT
with intelligent transportation system, providing accurate passenger information display and
giving appropriate training for management and operation stuffs.

Measuring TOD level of the areas under consideration for the implementation of TOD is
important to study since most of the Addis Ababa LRT stations are located at central business
district CBD. This research will help to have the detail understanding about the areas around
transit stations within transit influence zone (800 meters radius); whether these places comply

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with TOD standards regarding density, mixed land use, compactness, well connected to the
transit stations, pedestrian and cycling friendly or not. This will also help to identify the gap
needed for improvement to make the areas more transit oriented than existing situation.

Benchmarking practical model and approaches from other cities, implemented successful TOD
could help to know how to plan and implement TOD in Addis Ababa. Even though most of the
cities implemented TODs are in developed countries, the way this cities managed to implement
TOD could be good lesson to learn from. Lesson such as motive for those cities to consider TOD
for implementation, success factor of those cities, success level, institutional structures, TOD
favoring policies implemented in each cities etc… would help to learn a lesson. Some of
transferable policies could also adapted in Addis Ababa TOD too.

Setting up policy and framework that favors planning and implementation of TOD is crucial
since TOD is such big project, involves multilevel of stockholders, and requires participation of
private sector. Most of the case studies of cities implemented successful TOD also indicated that
those cities set up new policies and framework that favors TOD implementation. These cities
designed active private sector attractive regulatory environment to incentivize participation and
encourage transit ridership than private car use. A strong policy and framework that supersede
political ambition is most needed for TOD implementation and vividly demonstrated on most of
the case studies.

In general all necessary researches needed to be in place and enriched the understanding of
stockholder before investing time and resources to proceed with TOD in Addis Ababa rather
making political decision. The outcome will help to make measured decision for planners,
developers, decision makers on anticipated TOD project along LRT route and other projects to
come, to get the best out of the TOD that benefit the ambitious goal of realizing sustainable cities
in Africa.

Progress So far…
As it is tried to point out the dissertation includes five papers. These are:

1. Getting the best out of transit Oriented Development in Addis Ababa

2. Evaluating the Impact of Addis Ababa LRT in Addis Ababa Public Transport System and
Efficiency

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 3. Measuring TOD level of the areas under consideration for the implementation
4. Benchmarking practical model and approaches from other cities, implemented successful
TOD could help to know how to plan and implement TOD in Addis Ababa
5. Setting up policy and framework that favors planning and implementation of TOD

Figure 1 flowchart of Dissertation

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Road map for future
No Description Time frame Remark
.
1 General overall discussion with principal and co- In first week of Depending the
Advisor about the whole set up of dissertation , October convenience of
set time frame for consultation Advisor and co-
Advisor
2 Make decision on the first two papers for Mid of October
publication, (October 1st – 15th) Depending on
1. Getting the best out of transit Oriented the Schedule
Development in Addis Ababa
2. Evaluating the Impact of Addis Ababa LRT
in Addis Ababa Public Transport System and
Efficiency
which journal is suitable for the papers,
3 Work on the next paper and get it ready for Mid of November Depending on
publication (October 16th- the Schedule
1. Measuring TOD level of the areas under November 15st)
consideration for the implementation
4 Work on the next two papers November 16th – Depending on
1. Benchmarking practical model and December 16th the Schedule
approaches from other cities, implemented
successful TOD could help to know how to
plan and implement TOD in Addis Ababa
2. Setting up policy and framework that favors
planning and implementation of TOD
5 Summarize the whole dissertation and get ready At the end of Depending on
for examination December the outcome of
the above
performance