It’s the new buzz word in a building industry that could use a little pick-me-up: transit-oriented development. It often involves mixed-use office, retail and residential projects that sprout up at subway stops and transportation hubs.

So this year, in its annual real estate awards issue, the Business Journal honored the best in local transit-oriented development, from Koreatown to Pasadena and elsewhere. Four top projects are being honored, while another four awards go to leading individuals and companies that have been crucial to the movement’s progress in Los Angeles. Honorees received their awards at a Feb. 10 reception at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel.

Some critics complain that labeling a project transit-oriented can be an excuse to build too dense in a city notorious for its congrestion. Advocates contend such projects encourage mass transit, thereby reducing congestion. At least this much is certain: With its growing Metro rail system, L.A. is fertile ground for many more projects.