Shifting Gears - Four evening panel discussions on the future of transportation March 19, 2008

Free Public Lectures

Shifting Gears - Four evening panel discussions on the future of transportation

Admission is free; reservations are required.

http://www.sfu.ca/city/fpl3popup.htm
Email [email protected] or call 778-782.5100.
Venue: SFU Vancouver (at Harbour Centre), 515 West Hastings, Vancouver, unless otherwise noted.

Are Today's Transportation Agencies Ready for Tomorrow's Challenges?
Speaker: Dr. Michael Meyer, Director of the Georgia Transportation Institute and Professor of Civil and Enviornmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
March 6, 7 pm
Dr. Michael Meyer is a leading transportation planning expert who has co-authored a major textbook on urban transportation planning and is former chair of the U.S. Transportation Research Board. He will call on his comprehensive experience and knowledge to explain the intricacies of transport policy, to better understand our current dilemmas and challenges, from the need for better transit to the environmental and health considerations that have emerged as top priorities. These challenges relate not only to the analysis methodologies that are used today in transportation planning, but also to the institutional structure for decision making. Examples will be given of how some transportation agencies are responding to these challenges, and other cases where failure to do so has resulted in loss of credibility and effectiveness.

Transportation Strategies for Healthier Communities
Speaker: Dr. James Sallis, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University; Director, Active Living Research
March 19, 7 pm
The automobile may be close to our heart, but unfortunately that heart has become a lot less healthy as a result. Dr. James Sallis does "Active Living Research," making the connection between how we move and our physical health. Whether dealing with childhood obesity or independent living for seniors, Dr. Sallis will show how a balanced transportation and transit system is critical for our quality of life.

The Market for Walkable Urban Development
Speaker: Christopher B. Leinberger, Metropolitan Land Strategist and Developer, The Brookings Institution, Washington DC
April 25, 7 pm
Venue: Segal Graduate School of Business Building, 500 Granville Street, Vancouver (at the corner of Pender and Granville Streets)

Our Transportation Future
May 22, 7 pm.
Speakers: TBA.
This series is sponsored by by the Bombardier Foundation and the Active Transport Lab at the University of British Columbia. Program partner: Simon Fraser University City Program.

Official Website: http://www.sfu.ca/city/fpl3popup.htm