Dr. Robert E. Paaswell
November 4, 2011
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Our approach, both in the classroom and in the field to transportation planning and engineering has evolved from Federal and State Programs originating as early as 1916. Much of practice today is derivative from the need to create the supply to meet the demand of an increasingly motorized and personal fleet of vehicles. Designing for this supply had the objectives of increased accessibility to new places of working, living and shopping, increased mobility from the growing labor force and household formation and as a stimulus for economic development. In 2011, we – as planners and engineers – find that designing and implementing for this model is not quite appropriate. The seminar will approach how new curricula and models of practice must adapt to the many profound changes that have occurred – especially since 1956, and what we, as planners and engineers must consider as we build new models of planning and design for the mid 2000s. I will discuss:
1. Historical underpinnings: why we do what we do as professionals
2. The 2020 context: the new dimensions driving urban form and mobility
3. What must change in planning: in the class and in the field – new models
Dr. Robert Paaswell is a Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering (CCNY) and Director of the City University Institute for Urban Systems, a major University -wide initiative to examine the intersection of new technology, changing institutional structure and innovative finance on the provision of infrastructure in the 21st Century. He is also Director Emeritus of the federally supported University Transportation Research Center, located at the City College of New York. A consortium of 12 major U.S. Academic Institutions, the Center asserts a significant role in the region and nationally, conducting research and projects on surface transportation, carrying out training and educational programs and actively disseminating the results of its work. He serves as co-chair of the CUNY Sustainability Task Force. Paaswell served as Interim President of CCNY from 2009-2010.
He served as Chairman of the Board of the Transit Standards Consortium, and on the Boards of the Transportation Research Board and the Transit Cooperative Research Program. He is previous Chair of the ASCE Committee on Peer Review of Public Agencies. Paaswell has been elected a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a recipient of the USDOT Secretary’s Medal for Superior Service. Paaswell received his PhD from Rutgers and was the recipient of the Rutgers Outstanding Civil Engineering Alumnus Award. He was awarded the NY Transportation Council (Rudin Center) Award for Lifetime Achievement. He received the Council of University Transportation Centers Award for Distinguished Contributions to Transportation Research and Education. He is a Member of the New York Academy of Sciences. He has published extensively and made presentations on his work around the globe.
Date posted
Jun 20, 2019
Date updated
Jun 20, 2019