The Monday afternoon panel on Managing Transportation Change brought together a unique group of transportation planning experts. Staying true to the Arrowhead theme, the panelists zeroed in on different elements of change in California’s growing transportation system, including infrastructure, policy, and management.In 2013, Senate Bill 743 forever changed the way California agencies looked at automobile congestion under the California Environmental Quality Act. Fred Dock, Transportation Director at the City of Pasadena, kicked off the panel by reflecting on his experience implementing SB 743 in Pasadena. Dock, who brings over 35 years of transportation planning and engineering experience to the table, discussed the ups and downs that come with implementing such drastic changes at the municipal level, specifically focusing on changing congestion metrics from level of service (LOS) to vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Fred attributed Pasadena’s success to the City’s willingness to shift the emphasis from individual intersection performance and automobile dominated policies to greenhouse gas reduction strategies and alternative modes[…]

What strategies can planners and other urban managers use to envision, communicate, and implement change in cities? Both the general public and individuals within an organization have a tendency to be averse to change and risk.Compensating for risk aversion and uncertainty is often necessary for a single actor to successfully implement change, but what happens when change is brought by a multitude of forces?In this session, John Keisler, Innovation Team Director with the City of Long Beach and Paul Moore, Principal at Nelson Nygaard discuss the need for change in urban environments.John Keisler introduced organizations and people as organisms that must change to survive. Both require leaders to help them change when they either cannot or will not. Keisler argued that change requires a vision and a good leader to both shape and share a vision.To realize visions, organizations also need missions and objectives to identify key strategies to accomplish the overarching vision. Keisler identified two common barriers to change that[…]

As we conclude the many engaging and thought-provoking discussions had at the 2015 Arrowhead Symposium, we cannot help but share a bit of this year’s magic with you. This year we explored how policy, technological, and environmental change will shape the future of urban and regional planning. We considered three themes: civic innovation, open data, and an accelerating pace of change. It was the 25th annual installment of the Arrowhead Symposium, which is always an intimate, invite-only gathering and a deep dive into some aspect of the transportation-land use-environment connection.We’ve put together three stories to offer a glimpse into this year’s Symposium discussion:1. Changes Facing Urban and Regional Planning2. Refocusing Planning: The Mainstreaming of Public Health and Environmental Goals3. Managing Transportation ChangeWe’re quite grateful to all of our sponsors, speakers, and attendees for making it such a good experience.

What’s Behind the Decline in Driving Among Millennials?This question has been hotly debated in the press and in policy circles, but mostly based on impressions and anecdotes and not solid evidence – until now. Two recent national studies by ITS researchers Evelyn Blumenberg, Anne Brown, Stephen Brumbaugh, Kelcie Ralph, Michael Smart, Brian Taylor, Carole Turley Voulgaris, and Madeline Wander shed considerable light on those mysterious Millennials and their travel behavior. The first study found that youth travel behavior was deviating remarkably little from that of adults, with economic factors like employment status and income predominating in determining the travel behavior of both youth and adults. The most recent of these, examining whether Millennials are turning their backs on suburbs for more urban and car-free lifestyles, is hot off of the presses.What’s Youth Got to Do with It? Exploring the Travel Behavior of Teens and Young Adults >>Typcasting Neighborhood and Travelers: Analyzing the Geography of Travel Behavior Among Teens and Young[…]

Latest Issue Of ACCESS Magazine Now Available!The Spring/Summer issue of ACCESS magazine is hot off of the press and now available to view at the brand-new ACCESS website, accessmagazine.org. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find in the latest issue:The Social Context of TravelMichael J. Smart & Nicholas J. KleinImagine two couples living next door to each other in the Castro district of San Francisco.  They have similar jobs, interests, and incomes, but one couple is straight while the other is gay. Research now shows that the gay couple’s trips to work, shops, and everywhere in-between are more likely to be local than that of their straight neighbors.  But why would this be?In “The Social Context of Travel,” Michael Smart and Nick Klein explore how the strong social ties of LGBT communities influence travel behavior within the community.  This phenomenon brings to light a new element to consider when planning for the transportation needs of a neighborhood.The First Big-Box Store in DavisSusan L.[…]

The Fall 2014 issue of ACCESS magazine is hot off of the press and now available to view at the brand-new ACCESS website, accessmagazine.org. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find in the latest issue: Phantom Trip Adam Millard-Ball When you see a new development being constructed, the first thing you might think is how much traffic it might […]

We are proud to announce that Lewis Center Associate Director, Juan Matute will be participating in UCLA’s commitment to President Barack Obama’s Grand Challenges initiative.  Juan will be serving on the Spatial and Discipline Integration Committee as part of UCLA’s Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Project, Thriving in a Hotter Los Angeles. In order for UCLA to provide Los Angeles with a successful and efficient blueprint for achieving 100% sustainability by 2050, the project will first develop a work plan for the next five years. A call to campus […]