The book Sustainable Transportation and Development describes how to develop plans that preserve resources for future generations. It encourages people to live close to work, school, shops and fun. It describes transportation modes that reduce pollution and use of fossil fuels and operate with lower tax subsidies to achieve both environmental and fiscal sustainability.
The book defines each major transportation mode and transit terms. It compares the performance of more than 600 transit lines: speeds, ridership, capital costs, farebox recovery rates, and how much development each line and mode had attracted by 2013. It recommends ways to improve corridor planning, select transit modes, and the design of vehicles, stations, and bus shelters.
The book encourages funding capital costs of multibillion-dollar regional transportation systems locally to get them built faster – without increasing taxes – using revenues from development near the lines to pay off bonds quickly. It documents how Smart Growth can save billions in land, construction, schools, commuting, and public services in a region or transit corridor.
The University of Cincinnati invested almost $2 billion in fifteen years for new and renovated facilities on three campuses. Capital budgets, program documents, and design reviews for many of these projects were prepared by Senior Planner Michael Burrill (1993-2006). These projects helped the university grow from 36,000 to 44,000 students on three campuses by 2016. Mr. Burrill also introduced sustainable design concepts to UC in 1999 and reviewed designs that helped UC gain national recognition for sustainability and a beautiful campus.
The Central Campus in the uptown area of Cincinnati has about 182 acres now serving more than 36,000 students. New buildings and landscaping were designed at higher densities to encourage walking and create a lively 24-hour urban campus. New shuttle bus routes were introduced. The university worked with local transit officials to create new crosstown bus routes and extend light rail or modern streetcar lines to the campus from downtown and suburbs throughout the region.
Grow Smart Planet is currently working to encourage funding of these plans.