Category: Transportation

Economic Development, Transportation

Mercedes, Nissan, BMW: How the Southeast Became the New Hub for Auto-Manufacturing

By: Brandon Tubby No place in America has deeper ties to the automotive industry than Detroit, Michigan. A close second could be the town of Smyrna, Tennessee. While much less known, Smyrna became a significant player in the automotive industry when Nissan opened a massive plant in this Nashville suburb in 1982. Its quick success and ascension to the most productive automotive factory in the … Continue reading Mercedes, Nissan, BMW: How the Southeast Became the New Hub for Auto-Manufacturing

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Education, International, Land Use and Environmental Planning, Original Research, Transportation

DCRP Master’s Project Preview

UNC’s top-ranked master’s program is designed to successfully prepare students for professional planning practice. A central component of the curriculum is a final capstone project, an ‘MP,’ which provides an opportunity for students to apply the skills and knowledge they’ve developed in the classroom and demonstrate their readiness for practice. But the MP is also a space for students to engage with pressing social and … Continue reading DCRP Master’s Project Preview

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Opinion, Transportation

A Few Words in Defense of Driving – But Only Against Autonomous Vehicles

“All that is left of the original impulse toward autonomy and initiative [of American suburbia] is the driving of the private motor car, but . . . clever engineers already threaten to remove the individual control by a system of automation.” – Lewis Mumford, The City in History, 1961 Carolina DCRP students, especially those who have taken courses on transportation, have been part of many … Continue reading A Few Words in Defense of Driving – But Only Against Autonomous Vehicles

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Personal Reflections, Transportation

Transportation consulting: A summer at Fehr & Peers in Los Angeles

As a Master’s Student studying transportation planning, I was fortunate to intern at Fehr & Peers Transportation Consultants in Los Angeles, California this summer. It was a jam-packed three months of learning, exploring, and new experiences. The commute alone exposed me to large-scale transit operations and active transportation infrastructure. I was able to commute to my downtown internship via the Metro Expo Line (light rail) … Continue reading Transportation consulting: A summer at Fehr & Peers in Los Angeles

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Economic Development, International, Local Government, Opinion, Transportation

Path to Peace: Road Building and Recovery in Afghanistan

While Americans are debating a Hyperloop, electric scooters, and ride-hailing services, some people are still just trying to access basic road infrastructure. Take Kunar, Afghanistan: located on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Kunar is a stronghold for the Taliban and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan branch of ISIS. Despite the ongoing violence in Kunar, the government has been unable to advance its counter-terrorism agenda … Continue reading Path to Peace: Road Building and Recovery in Afghanistan

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Bike Ped, Transportation

The Future of Biking Across the United States

If you have ever felt compelled to confront the importance of planning in your daily life, try biking on the rumble strip of a highway. The discomfort of being distinctly out of place reveals underlying structures in the way things are built. In the summer of 2015, I biked across the country 4,295 miles from Portland, M.E., to Seattle, W.A., with the organization Bike the … Continue reading The Future of Biking Across the United States

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Bike Ped, Transportation

Urban Freight Challenges with the Rise of E-Commerce

This piece was originally written by Tory Gibler for Planning Methods (PLAN 720) in November 2018. Have you purchased a product online and had it shipped to your home in the last year? It’s a good bet you have, given that online shopping is a large and growing portion of all US retails sales. It’s always a challenge for planners to predict the countless events … Continue reading Urban Freight Challenges with the Rise of E-Commerce

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Personal Reflections, Post-Grad Life Series, Transportation

Reflections Post-Graduation Featuring: Katy Lang

Katy Lang tells us about her experiences post-graduation. She graduated in May 2018 and is currently working in the Washington D.C. area. Her work focuses on transportation. Read her responses to the following interview questions to find out more about the work that she does and some advice looking back. What is your current job? Program Manager for WalkArlington. WalkArlington is part of Arlington’s transportation … Continue reading Reflections Post-Graduation Featuring: Katy Lang

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Land Use and Environmental Planning, Transportation

Distribution Centers Need Planning, Too

As urbanization increases, land costs are higher, and the wealthy are outbidding other classes for housing in the central city. According to the U.S. Census, more than 80% of the country’s population lives in cities.[i] The rise of e-commerce produces an outsized demand for goods delivered rapidly. The suburbs, long thought of as an oasis for the wealthy from the grit of industrialization, is now experiencing … Continue reading Distribution Centers Need Planning, Too

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Bike Ped, Transportation

Busting Stereotypes One Wheel at a Time

The following is derived from an interview with Athena Wollin, a bicycle mechanic at Oak City Cycling Project, graphic designer, and board member of Oaks & Spokes, a bicycle advocacy nonprofit in Raleigh, NC. Originally from central Oregon, Athena has lived in Portland, Boulder, and now Raleigh. She loves bikes and the bicycle’s form and movement inspired her early graphic and animation work. This led … Continue reading Busting Stereotypes One Wheel at a Time

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