July 25, 2008

Designing Communities for Better Transit

CHICAGO — Transportation is the second largest and fastest growing contributor of greenhouse gases in the United States. By reducing travel and congestion on roadways and supporting more efficient land use patterns, public transit is a powerful tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated from transportation.

Come hear Fred Hansen, the former deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, describe how more efficient land use planning combined with high-quality transit can result in less auto-dependent cities. He will share his viewpoint on green transit planning at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, at the American Planning Association’s Tuesdays at APA forum. The event is held at 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600, Chicago. The event is free and open to the public.

Drawing on his experience leading Portland’s regional transit authority, TriMet, Hansen will describe new green strategies being undertaken by public transit providers to heighten the industry's sustainability. He also will share outcomes and observations as chair of the fourth annual Sustainability and Public Transportation Workshop being held by the American Public Transportation Association in Chicago from July 27-29.

Prior to joining TriMet, Hansen directed the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for more than 10 years before working at the EPA.

Tuesdays at APA is a monthly after-work lecture and discussion series. Each month, practicing planners and researchers discuss the latest ideas, concepts and research in the planning field. For more information and upcoming events, visit www.planning.org/tuesdaysatapa or call 312.431.9100. Join us for the next Tuesdays at APA event on September 16, 2008, exploring local planning for Internet infrastructure.

Contact

Roberta Rewers, APA, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org