Arrowhead 2010 | Economic Crisis as Opportunity for Reform

The 20th Annual UCLA Lake Arrowhead Symposium on the Transportation – Land Use – Environment Connection: “Economic Crisis as Opportunity for Reform”

Held October 17-19, 2010 at UCLA’s Lake Arrowhead Conference Center

Program

Presentations

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Symposium, which is a collaborative enterprise that brings researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders together each fall to discuss and debate the transportation – land use – environment connection. This fall we will reflect on what has changed – and what hasn’t – since the 1991 program on Strategies for Making Connections between Transportation, Land Use and Air Quality.  While the transportation – land use – environment connection has been considerably “mainstreamed” over the past two decades, many challenges remain, and new ones have emerged. In the face of a persistent economic downturn, a deepening public finance crisis, waxing concern with climate change, and chronic geo-political instability, the challenges to linking transportation, land use, and the environment have never been greater.

The focus of this year’s UCLA Lake Arrowhead symposium is Infrastructure Investment for Sustainable Growth. Some argue that our economic vitality will depend on a switch to greener technologies, jobs, and policies; others suggest that environmental goals, no matter how laudable, ought to be put on hold until the economy and tax revenues rebound; still others argue that sustainably accommodating the state’s growth in population and demand will require sweeping changes to the ways we consume resources, build regions and cities, and travel about. Amidst this uncertainly, one fact remains clear – our infrastructure systems are in dire need of maintenance and, in some form, expansion. But when we dig deeper, the consensus erodes: Do we invest in maintaining and redeveloping existing buildings, land, highways, roads, and transit systems? Should we expand our road, air, and freight infrastructure to reduce congestion and accommodate expected growth in demand? Or should we turn our attention to alternative, more environmentally sustainable infrastructure investments as we move forward? Further, do we pay for these improvements with increased borrowing, taxes, or user fees?

Our goal is to explore the challenges to and opportunities for infrastructure investment to support economically and environmentally sustainable growth in the years ahead. From the perspectives of research, policy, and practice, speakers will address the social, environmental, and economic arguments for paths to sustainable growth. We will look at current and proposed solutions for increasing capacity and/or managing growth and demand, with particular attention to public and private transportation and goods movement. We also address the management of transportation and land infrastructure systems, examine proposals for improving the performance of these systems, and revisit efforts to scare up sufficient resources to pay for infrastructure development and maintenance. Finally, we explore the challenges to building consensus for action amidst potentially competing economic and environmental imperatives.

This symposium is intended for policy decision-makers and analysts in the public and private sectors whose work concerns land and transportation systems and their environmental consequences. Our speakers and audience members are intentionally heterogeneous to stimulate thoughtful discussion and debate among all participants. We encourage you to join in the conversation this fall at Lake Arrowhead. 

2010 Sponsors

LEAD SPONSORS

Orange County Transportation Authority

Southern California Association of Governments

Southern California Edison

The Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

University of California Transportation Center

CO-SPONSORS

Automobile Club of Southern California

Bay Area Air Quality Management District

California Air Resources Board

California Energy Commission

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Los Angeles World Airports

Majestic Realty

Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Port of Long Beach

Port of Oakland

San Bernardino Associated Governments

San Francisco County Transportation Authority

South Coast Air Quality Management District

Southern California Gas Company

Urban Land Use and Transportation Center