Transit planning traditionally emphasizes the spatial dimension of accessibility; networks are built to bridge locations in the city with the assumption that the provision of spatial connectivity is equivalent to providing people with access to their destinations. However, often underrepresented in transit analyses, is that travel time, not network proximity, is the fundamental unit of influence over people's travel behavior. It is the time lost in travel that drives whether or not people will… Read More

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… Read More