Jeff Wood
Recent Posts
Talking Headways Podcast: Why a City Is Not a Computer
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This week we’re joined by Shannon Mattern, professor of anthropology at the New School for Social Research, who talks with us about her new book, "A City is Not a Computer: Other Urban Intelligences." We discuss the ideas of smartness versus wisdom, maintenance as a way of absorbing information, and the city as a processing machine.
Talking Headways Podcast: Building a Better Transit Board
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This week on the podcast, we’re back at last fall’s virtual Railvolution conference. Former BART GM Grace Crunican discusses the role of board members in transit agencies with former MBTA board member Monica Tibbits-Nutt and former Houston Metro board member Christof Spieler.
Talking Headways Podcast: Not Just Wires, Pipes, and Roads
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This week, we’re talking about the importance a systems approach in interconnected topics like transportation, education, and health care (yes, they're interconnected!).
Talking Headways Podcast: The Traffic War Is Never Won
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This week we’re joined by University of Virginia Associate Professor Peter Norton, to talk about his new book "Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving." Norton discusses the false promises of automakers and technologists and the mobility solutions that are already in front of us.
Talking Headways Podcast: Optimism on Infrastructure
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This week we’re joined by Linda Samuels, associate professor of urban design at Washington University in St. Louis, to talk about her book "Infrastructural Optimism." We chat about how growth for growth’s sake is not the answer, learn from postmodernist urbanism, and why systems should be more connected.
Talking Headways Podcast: Transit Expansion and Service in the Pandemic
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This week we’re at the 2021 Virtual Railvolution conference. Adelee Le Grand, CEO of Tampa's transit system, moderates a panel featuring Debra Johnson of RTD in Denver, and Peter Rogoff of Sound Transit in Seattle. Johnson and Rogoff discuss progress in their regions and the effects of the pandemic.
Talking Headways Podcast: Streets are Not Just Pipes
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This week we’re joined by Miami of Ohio Geography Professor David Prytherch. Prytherch chats with us about his recent journal article in Urban Geography: "Reimagining the physical/social infrastructure of the American street." We talk about businesses' newfound interest in the street, equity and ethical discussions about rights to the street, and the new pandemic paradigm of "open streets."
Talking Headways Podcast: A National Perspective on Building Transit
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This week we’re joined by Jannet Walker-Ford, National Transit and Rail Lead at WSP. We chat about high-speed rail around the country, the benefits of trade and research groups, escalating transit-project costs, and the transport-policy environment.
Talking Headways Podcast: Culture Is Designed Every Century
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This week we’re joined by Dutch architect Ton Venhoeven. We chat about Utrecht’s new tram station TOD, the difference between the 15 minute and Micro City, planning policy and its history in the Netherlands, and the future of cities.
Talking Headways Podcast: How Partisanship Influences Transportation Reform
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This week we're joined by Kelcie Ralph, Nick Klein, and Calvin Thigpen, who talk about their recent paper "Political Partisanship and Transportation Reform." We chat about why they wrote the paper, what they found out about partisanship and transportation policy, and why actors across the political spectrum have little understanding of induced demand.
Talking Headways Podcast: Asphalt – A History
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This week we’re joined by Kenneth O’Reilly to talk about his book "Asphalt: A History." We chat about, um, asphalt (which is actually fascinating!).
Talking Headways Podcast: How Berlin Encourages Active Transportation
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This week we’re joined by Roland Stimpel of the German Pedestrian Association Fussverkehr. Stimpel chats with us about Berlin’s new mobility laws, including the 2018 Mobility Act and 2021’s pedestrian law amendments. We also talk about SUVs, the struggle to find public servants, and Ampelmännchen, the traffic-light man.