Transportation & Urban Planning

U.S. Leader in Infrastructure Solutions

We perform research on surface transportation, urban planning, education, workforce development, and technology transfer, leading the nation in safe, reliable solutions for urban infrastructure. The Mineta Transportation Institute studies and creates efficient and resilient options for the movement of humans and goods; reduces climate change through innovative infrastructure models; and leverages high-impact solutions discovered through data modeling and advanced analytical tools for increased human equity.

Our research and solutions both draw from and impact urban planning nationwide. Below is a rotating selection of our standout investigators in these areas.

   ○ Recent News and Highlights
   ○ Related Strength: Land and Water Use
   ○ Related Strength: Environmental Justice

• Selected Publications

  • Douglas, G. C. C. (2018). The help-yourself city: Legitimacy and inequality in DIY urbanism. Oxford University Press.

    Lester, T. & Wilson, M. (2023). The Racial and Spatial Impacts of the Paycheck Protection Program. Economic Development Quarterly, 37(3).

    Srinivas, S. & Suresh, M. (2021). Faster Depth Estimation for Situational Awareness on Urban Streets. IEEE International Conference on Big Data (Big Data).

    Weinstein Agrawal, A., Nixon, H., & Azevedo, A. (2023). What Do Americans Think About Federal Tax Options to Support Transportation? Results from Year Fourteen of a National Survey. Mineta Transportation Institute.

• Award Highlights

  • Lester, Wilson, “Evaluating the City of Chicago’s Vacant Land Distribution Policy: Impacts on Crime, Equity, and the Racial Wealth Gap” — City of Chicago, 2023

    Nixon, “Climate Change and Extreme Events Training and Research Program” — Federal Railroad Administration, 2023

    Philbrick, Nixon, “The Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation (MCEEST)” — Department of Transportation, 2023

    Philbrick, Nixon, “CSUTC: Transportation Research and Transportation-Related Workforce Education, Training and Development” – California State University System, 2024

• Affiliates

  • CSU Social Science Research and Instructional Center

    Human Rights Institute

    Institute for Metropolitan Studies

    Mineta Transportation Institute

    Spatial Analytics and Visualization Center

Featured Faculty

Gordon Douglas
Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
Urban Design, Informal Urbanism, DIY Urbanism, Neighborhood Identity, Housing, Homelessness, Gentrification, Community Engagement
ORCID: 0000-0002-0256-6070

T. William Lester
Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Metropolitan Inequality, Labor Market Policy, Living Wage, Housing, Lending Discrimination, Racial Justice and Planning History
ORCID: 0000-0003-2132-8665

Hilary Nixon
Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute
Transportation, Transportation Planning, Transportation Policy, Transportation Finance, Environmental Policy, Environmental Planning
ORCID: 0000-0001-5378-3473

Karen Philbrick
Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute
Transportation, Human Behavior, Transit Safety and Security, Workforce Development
ORCID: 0000-0003-3387-0363

Mahima Agumbe Suresh
Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering
Edge Computing, Machine Learning, Real-time applications, Micromobility
ORCID: 0000-0003-4434-3155

Asha Weinstein Agrawal
Professor of Urban and Regional Planning
Transportation, Policy, Planning, Funding, Bicycles, Pedestrians, Public Transit, Fuel Taxes, Mileage Fees, History, Equity, Climate, Survey Methods
ORCID: 0000-0003-2328-0263

Potential collaborators and members of the media may contact us at officeofresearch@sjsu.edu.