Planning High Speed Rail Stations for Sustainable Urban Development: European Case Studies

This policy brief examines European best practices regarding urban integration of high speed rail (HSR) stations to maximize local economic and sustainable urban development benefits. The research goal was to identify lessons for cities in North America, especially in California, to achieve sustainable development through coordinated land use and transportation planning around HSR stations.

This brief summarizes research conducted in Europe from February-May 2010 as a Comparative Domestic Policy Fellow for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, drawing on literature review, site visits, and interviews with transportation professionals, urban planners, academics, and government officials in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain.