New national leadership, ever smarter and more sophisticated technologies, growing support for rail and transit, and a population that continues to increase by tens of millions of people every decade mean that the country has an unprecedented opportunity to “pivot,” to start making better infrastructure investment decisions and achieving better outcomes. How can the next surface transportation bill help the country pivot to a new era and build more sustainable communities?

These choices matter; the country’s economic vitality, environmental and energy sustainability, and quality of life depend heavily on the choices we make about transportation. By refocusing the federal program, making the reforms we need, and facilitating the participation of the private sector, transportation policy can set the stage for a brighter future for all Americans.

Congress, the Obama Administration, and others are working diligently to forge a path forward, and many proposals for reform are on the table. The connections among land use, infrastructure, and sustainability are being discussed like never before.

To contribute to this conversation, the Urban Land Institute, through its National Transportation Policy Dialogue, brought together leading real estate and transportation thinkers and practitioners to consider the links among real estate, development, and transportation. Several recommendations—intended to guide transportation policy and programs at the federal level—were identified:

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. ULI’s prestigious membership consists of the land use industry’s foremost professionals around the globe. Established in 1936, the Institute facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information, and experience among local, national, and international industry leaders and policy makers dedicated to creating better places. 

Transportation is critical to the vitality of the U.S. economy and the real estate industry. Through the ULI National Transportation Policy Dialogue, ULI is engaging leaders from the real estate and transportation fields to discuss pressing transportation challenges and identify a common set of goals and principles for transportation policy reform. The Dialogue consists of a series of workshops and events, articles and publications, and other activities centered around the pressing transportation issues facing the country. 

Urban Land Institute
1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW- Suite 500 West
20007 Washington, D.C.
Phone: +1 (202) 624 7000
Fax: +1 (202) 624 7140

/07/2009

Urban Land Institute

research

Urban Policy

Transport and infrastructure