Re-Programming Mobility 2030: Scenarios of Digital Transformation in Metropolitan America
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Anthony Townsend, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, New York University
Fellow, Data and Society Research Institute
Author of Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia
Silicon Valley has set its sights on the transportation system as its next big opportunity for profitable disruption, and its first moves have triggered conflicts with regulators at every level of government. As digital transformation occurs at every scale of the transportation system—from individual trip planning to the design and management of regional mass transit systems—how will mobility and land use patterns shift in U.S. metropolitan areas over the coming decades?
In this talk, Anthony Townsend, PhD, will highlight key findings from an alternative futures scenario exercise conducted by NYU's Rudin Center for Transportation with support from the Rockefeller Foundation exploring these possibilities, and the ways in which transportation policy and planning organizations may act and react to these shifts.
This event is part of Volpe's newest thought leadership series, Beyond Traffic 2045: Reimagining Transportation. This series will inform the ongoing national dialogue on Beyond Traffic, U.S. DOT’s 30-year framework for the future.
Attend the Event
Join us via webinar or in person.
About the Speaker
Dr. Anthony Townsend is a senior research scientist at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management. He investigates the impacts of mobile information services and communications on travel behavior and long-term shifts in mobility demands in megacities, and the impacts of both trends on transportation planning and policy analysis.
Dr. Townsend is also a fellow at the Data & Society Research Institute, a newly launched think/do tank located in New York City. His research focuses on the emerging field of urban informatics and its impact on local government and citizen engagement.
Dr. Townsend was recently named one of Planetizen’s Leading Thinkers in Urban Planning & Technology and one of the Top 100 Thinkers tracking the Internet of Things by Postscapes.
His first book, Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia, was published by W.W. Norton & Co. in 2013.
Read more about Anthony Townsend.
About Volpe's Beyond Traffic 2045: Reimagining Transportation series:
What will transportation look like 10, 20, or 30 years from now? Be part of Volpe’s newest speaker series—Beyond Traffic 2045: Reimagining Transportation—to delve into the trends that will transform transportation.
This series will continue the conversation started by Beyond Traffic, the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) framework for a frank discussion about the shape, size, and condition of our transportation system.
Beyond Traffic 2045: Reimagining Transportation will kick off September 18 with a special video introduction from U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, followed by opening remarks from Gregory D. Winfree, DOT Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology.
Speakers and Dates
The following speakers will bring to Volpe their unique perspectives on how transportation will change over the coming decades:
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Andrew McAfee, PhD, principal research scientist and co-founder of the Initiative on the Digital Economy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of The Second Machine Age
Friday, September 18, 2015
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Edward L. Bolton Jr., assistant administrator for NextGen, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. DOT
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
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Donald L. Fisher, PhD, principal technical advisor, engineering research psychologist, at Volpe, U.S. DOT, and professor and former head of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
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John A. Cavolowsky, PhD, director of the Airspace Operations and Safety Program at the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
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John B. Heywood, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering and Sun Jae Professor, Emeritus, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thursday, November 5, 2015
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Harry Lightsey, executive director of Global Connected Customer at General Motors
Thursday, November 12, 2015
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Kaigham (Ken) J. Gabriel, PhD, president and CEO of The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
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Anthony Townsend, PhD, senior research scientist at New York University, fellow at the Data and Society Research Institute, and author of Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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Chris Urmson, director of the Self-Driving Car Program at Google
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Complex Transportation Challenges
Our transportation system faces unprecedented challenges:
- In the next 30 years, the U.S. population is expected to grow by more than 20 percent to 390 million people.
- The specific transportation needs of people over age 65 will become more pressing, as that age group will increase by nearly 80 percent in the coming decades.
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Our population is shifting to the south, to the west, and to 11 megaregions that represent more than 75 percent of our population and employment. - Our economy is also growing, with some forecasts anticipating future growth rates at 115 percent. As the American economy grows, the amount of freight moving across our transportation network will increase significantly, along with the global demand for products from the U.S.
- At the same time, our climate is changing. The frequency of super storms, higher temperatures, and higher sea levels will all present complex challenges.
What does a safer, more resilient, and more efficient transportation system look like? What will this mean for the nation and society?
Bring your imaginations and join us via webinar or in person for this important discussion.
Remember to regularly check our Events page and Twitter feed[external link] for updates on speakers, dates, and topics.
- See more at: http://www.volpe.dot.gov/events/reimagining-transportation-speaker-series#sthash.bCnkWjFV.dpuf
- November 24, 2015 at 12:00pm – 1pm
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Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center U.S. Department of Transportation
55 Broadway Kendall Sq
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States
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