Topics to be announced at beginning of each semester. No more than 3 units may be taken in one section.

What technological trends in transportation and land use have been the most important and influential in US cities? How have city planners responded to rapid technological changes, and what future challenges will they need to respond to? To what extent do planners’ responses to future technological changes have the potential to improve the efficiency of cities, focusing particularly on outcomes for their least advantaged residents? In this reading group we will discuss such issues with reference to both historical and contemporary readings. Relevant contemporary technological developments in transportation include app-based ridesharing, bus information systems, point-to-point car sharing, micromobility options such as scooter and bike share systems, and electric and alternative fuel vehicles. In land use there are construction and development innovations (e.g., building information management (BIM) systems, construction techniques like modular housing), space-sharing innovations (e.g., Airbnb, WeWork) and innovations in retail, warehousing and freight (e.g., e-commerce trends, rapid warehousing and delivery). We will discuss planning responses to these developments that are meant to address equity and social welfare concerns, and that may themselves raise their own such concerns.

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