Research Highlights

Reducing VMT, Encouraging Walk Trips, and Facilitating Efficient Trip Chains through Polycentric Development

Reid Ewing
A "polycentric" region is a network of compact developments (centers) that are connected with each other through high-quality transportation options. As the antidote to sprawling suburbs, compact centers can encourage all the things that sprawl discourages: public health, environmental sustainability, social cohesion, and economic diversity. But how can metropolitan planning organizations ensure that their regional plans will actually meet these goals? Polycentric development has been advo... Read More

Understanding Types of Cyclists Nationally

Jennifer Dill
Nathan McNeil
Transportation professionals who are developing plans and projects that aim to change people’s travel behavior – such as getting more people to bicycle – need to understand the people they are targeting. To do so, planners and researchers have developed typologies of cyclists; however, many of these typologies are based upon surveys of current cyclists and, therefore, are of limited use in planning to attract new people to bicycling for transportation. One exception is the “Four Types of Cycl... Read More