Nick Patsaouras will chronicle his role in modernizing Los Angeles's transportation infrastructure, particularly his efforts in spearheading the development of the region's subway and light rail lines and advocating for bus services.
To envision alternative transportation futures, Adonia Lugo has collaborated with stewards of traditional Indigenous knowledge. This talk highlights their knowledge of the past and perspectives on how indigenous knowledge can shape the future of LA’s transportation systems.
Professor Brian Taylor delivers a talk and presentation on proposals between 1920 and 1940 to fundamentally redesign the street system, transit system, and highway system in LA to cope with burgeoning traffic -- why they mostly failed, and why LA is the worse for it today.
A Mini-Symposium from UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 In 2005, UCLA Professor Donald Shoup published “The High Cost of Free Parking,” revealing the shaky foundations of minimum parking requirements and explaining how these mandates cause problems far worse than the one they were intended to solve. Since then, more than 100 U.S. cities have eliminated any requirements to provide a minimum number of parking spaces from their zoning code, with hundreds more lifting their parking requirements in key areas like commercial corridors and historic downtowns. In this online event, planners, public officials, researchers, and advocates whose cities were among the first to eliminate parking requirements will share their experiences. Speakers will share why their cities chose to end parking minimums, the new development and opportunities these changes have made possible, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. After the speaker sessions, attendees are invited to participate in breakout room discussions to share their experiences and consider the effects of parking policies in their own communities. Session 1: Sharing City Experiences In this session, we’ll hear from local leaders about why their cities eliminated minimum parking requirements and see examples of new housing and small [...]
Michael Schneider, a Los Angeles native, traded his car for a bicycle over a decade ago. Since then, Michael has become politically active; as the founder of Streets For All, his organization has had a dramatic impact on L.A. — from passing Measure HLA in 2024 to flipping the L.A. City Council to making and changing laws in Sacramento. In this talk Michael will go over a brief history of L.A. from a transportation point of view, talk about Measure HLA, the current state of street safety and multimodal transportation in the city, and discuss what needs to change to make L.A. functional, safe, and multimodal for all.
Seleta Reynolds has over a decade of experience as a transportation executive in Los Angeles. From her time as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to her current role as Metro's Chief Innovation Officer, overseeing the Office of Strategic Innovation, Reynolds has developed a comprehensive perspective on transportation in Los Angeles. This perspective and approach to innovation are invaluable as Los Angeles prepares its transportation system to host global mega events.
An Event from the UCLA Center for Parking Policy Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 Paving Over How Much Paradise? With Professors Lewis Lehe and Michael Manville Join us for a virtual event to hear Professors Lewis Lehe of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Michael Manville of UCLA discuss how parking shapes our cities — how much land is devoted to parking, how researchers measure its footprint, and what we give up in exchange for so much parking. Following their presentations, Ellen Schwartz, manager of the UCLA Center for Parking Policy, will introduce a new synthesis summarizing research on the impacts of parking infrastructure, the effects of minimum parking requirements, and what happens when cities repeal them. After the presentations, Adam Millard-Ball will moderate a speaker Q&A and audience discussion. Register Claim Your Credits Attendees who are members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) can claim up to 1.00 CM credits from the American Planning Association’s website. (Link forthcoming) Speakers
Alissa Walker has been observing Los Angeles as a pedestrian and journalist since before Twitter existed. How people learn about their community has changed, and Alissa now works on a newsletter and podcast to inform Angelenos about transportation, housing, urban design, and governance. Her project Torched.LA covers the civic investments and policy decisions that Los Angeles is making in preparation for its megaevent-hosting era.
Alissa Walker has been observing Los Angeles as a pedestrian and journalist since before Twitter existed. How people learn about their community has changed, and Alissa now works on a newsletter and podcast to inform Angelenos about transportation, housing, urban design, and governance. Her project Torched.LA covers the civic investments and policy decisions that Los Angeles is making in preparation for its megaevent-hosting era.
The UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies is delighted to announce the inaugural Pacific Coast Transportation Workshop on policy and planning. Join us in Los Angeles from Friday February 20 to Saturday February 21, 2026. We look forward to discussing research and exchanging ideas in a small, relaxed setting. Register Questions and Answers Why are you holding this workshop? We aim to provide a low-cost forum that fosters deeper connections between transportation scholars and that stimulates new ideas. The program will focus on a smaller number of thought-provoking papers and reserve ample time for discussion. We will have a mix of full-length presentations with discussants, and brief “egg timer” talks. Who can attend? The workshop is aimed at faculty, postdocs, PhD students, and other researchers working in the broad areas of transportation policy and planning. We particularly encourage scholars in western North America to attend. How can I register? Registration will open in December for presenters and others on a first-come, first-served basis. A registration fee of $75 ($40 for students) will cover lunches on Friday and Saturday and other light refreshments. Where can I stay? We have reserved a block of rooms at the Inn [...]