The transportation network is an essential, if often invisible, part of communities. Only when traffic piles up, the subway shuts down, or the sidewalk is closed do we notice the services and infrastructure that are critical to everyday movement. Beyond the everyday effects, transportation planning decisions also have long term consequences for the environment (transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States); the economy (transportation is the fourth largest household expenditure after healthcare, housing, and food); and community wellbeing (traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for young people in the United States). This course will interrogate the role of transportation in fostering sustainable communities paying particular attention to how policy and planning decisions contribute to or hinder equitable access, economic vibrancy, environmental protection. Through a combination of lectures, field work, guest speakers, and real-world client projects, this course will provide an introduction to the field of transportation policy and planning. Student will learn about and get hands-on practice with topics such as bicycle and pedestrian design, safety analysis, traffic operations and modeling software, transit planning, and emerging trends such as autonomous vehicles, micromobility, and congestion pricing. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center).
4 units · Letter (ABCD/NP) · GER: WAY-SI
The transportation network is an essential, if often invisible, part of communities. Only when traffic piles up, the subway shuts down, or the sidewalk is closed do we notice the services and infrastructure that are critical to everyday movement. Beyond the everyday effects, transportation planning decisions also have long term consequences for the environment (transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States); the economy (transportation is the fourth largest household expenditure after healthcare, housing, and food); and community wellbeing (traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for young people in the United States). This course will interrogate the role of transportation in fostering sustainable communities paying particular attention to how policy and planning decisions contribute to or hinder equitable access, economic vibrancy, environmental protection. Through a combination of lectures, field work, guest speakers, and real-world client projects, this course will provide an introduction to the field of transportation policy and planning. Student will learn about and get hands-on practice with topics such as bicycle and pedestrian design, safety analysis, traffic operations and modeling software, transit planning, and emerging trends such as autonomous vehicles, micromobility, and congestion pricing. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center).
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.