At a recent transportation conference, Dr. Leo Kroon of the Netherlands Railway says their strategy is not to force people to use the train but to 'seduce' them with the latest innovations.
Adam Christensen comments on Dr. Kroon's presentation: "Think of premium brands: Apple, BMW, etc. They seduce you on a level above pure functionality. You pay more for the experience. I could find mp3 players far cheaper than the iPod with similar (sometimes better) functionality, yet I willingly pay more so I can have an iPod in my pocket.
What if we applied a similar approach to transit? I'm not naive about the realities we face, nor the challenges of this kind of approach. But surely there's more we can do to entice transit ridership."
FULL STORY: The Art of Seduction in Transportation
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research