Sustainable Mobility and Real Estate

报告摘要：Transportation and real estate are inseparable. The way people move shapes real estate, and the design of real estate influences mobility choices. There is a growing recognition of this relationship, as evidenced by an increasing number of public-private partnerships focused on sustainable transportation.  

Real estate that leverages investments in sustainable mobility infrastructure, including transit and active travel trails, has the opportunity to see greater returns while advancing community well-being overall. 

The Sustainable Mobility and Real Estate report was developed in coordination with ModeScore, a global certification organization that helps real estate owners, developers, and investors evaluate how well their buildings support sustainable transportation. The report was informed by a wide range of ULI members and partners and presents the fundamentals and best practices of mobility-oriented development at the building scale.

Active and Sustainable Transportation Amenities in CRE

A variety of building scale investments can help maximize the use of sustainable transportation modes—creating value for developers, improving mobility for residents, and strengthening communities. These strategies include both design choices and building-level policies:

• Bicycle Storage. Developers and building owners adjacent to public trails and bicycle lanes can unlock the potential of this infrastructure by including bicycle storage rooms in new developments and building retrofits.
  
  
• On-Site Showers and Changing Rooms. Office developers and building owners can install showers and changing rooms in their buildings to further incentivize the use of active transportation infrastructure like bike or walk trails.
  
  
• Green Infrastructure. Developers and owners can furnish buildings with green infrastructure like trees and reflective pavements to improve the quality of trips people take via active transportation modes—further expanding the potential for project success by leveraging adjacent sustainable transportation infrastructure. 
  
  
• Real-Time Transit Information (RTI) Screens. Building owners and developers can leverage public transit infrastructure by investing in RTI screens to show up-to-date information about the proximity of major transit lines. This investment can help reduce wait times and increase transit use - providing more opportunities for adjacent development.
  
  
• Transit Passes. Residential developments and building owners can provide transit passes to tenants to attract car-free households and incentivize use of adjacent public transit.
  
  
• Parking Incentives. To encourage sustainable transportation use, owners and developments can charge higher parking fees for residents who have multiple cars and provide financial benefits like rent reductions and transit passes for car-free residents. Developers can also include dedicated parking spaces for car-share vehicles in their projects to attract car-free residents and reduce the need for greater on-site parking.
  
  
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations. Developers and building owners have an opportunity to include charging infrastructure in buildings, thus incentivizing sustainable transportation options. This practice can work in tandem with increasing government investment in publicly available charging stations to shift public habits.
  

Key Takeaways

Practical guidance for developers, governments, and stakeholders was distilled into 7 key takeaways: 

• There Is Momentum for Real Estate to Leverage Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure. Developers are increasingly recognizing that integrating real estate with sustainable transportation– such as transit, trails, and walkable design– creates both market and environmental value. Projects that combine public infrastructure investments with sustainable amenities and car-free incentives are proving successful across diverse contexts.
  
  
• Partnerships Are Essential for Success. Close collaboration between developers, public agencies, and community partners is critical to aligning transportation investments with development goals. Effective advocacy, streamlined approvals, and trust-building help projects avoid costly delays and achieve broader community impact. 
  
  
• Financial Incentives Can Be a Key Tool to Support Transit Use and TOD. Strategic use of incentives, such as transit subsidies, zoning overlays, and density bonuses, can encourage both developers and residents to embrace transit-oriented development. Public policies that reduce financial barriers or reward sustainability investments can unlock additional private capital and strengthen project viability.
  
  
• Parking Regulations Shape Development. Rigid parking requirements often hinder sustainable development, while flexible standards allow developers to pursue transit-oriented projects with lower costs and better design outcomes. Reducing or eliminating parking minimums enables reinvestment in amenities that promote walking, cycling, and public transit use.
  
  
• Design Decisions Can Drive Behavior Change. Intentional design features like bike storage, EV charging, real-time transit screens, and shaded pedestrian paths can nudge residents and workers toward sustainable travel choices. Developments that blur the boundary between private and public space foster connectivity and community vitality.
  
  
• Perceptions of Sustainable Travel Modes Matter. People are more likely to choose sustainable modes when they feel safe, comfortable, and confident in their experience. Enhancing lighting, visibility, and station aesthetics can improve public perception and increase usage.
  
  
• Accessibility and Equity Are Central. Sustainable transportation must be inclusive, ensuring that low-income residents, people with disabilities, and historically marginalized groups have equitable access to mobility and opportunity. Meaningful community engagement and universal design principles strengthen both social outcomes and long-term development success. 

Integrating Sustainable Mobility and Real Estate

Integrating sustainable mobility and real estate can add tremendous value for developers and communities if done with care. 

When mobility and real estate are treated as co-investments, projects can deliver lower carbon footprints, higher accessibility, and stronger tenant demand. But misalignment, siloed decision making, and unclear incentives can undercut these benefits. This report is a tool to help bridge those gaps - enabling more equitable engagement, greater accountability, and tangible results. 

To ground its analysis, this report looks at exemplary projects like The Underline and Link at Douglas, as well as insights from the ULI–ModeScore Promoting Sustainable Transportation in Commercial Real Estate workshop held in June 2025. Industry insights and emerging best practices are shared in the report to present accessible, actionable guidance.