People Behind the Plans: Jarrett Walker

In the ninth episode of the People Behind the Plans series, transit
planner and author Jarrett Walker offers up his thoughts and
musings on all things transit. Jarrett reflects on growing up in
Portland in the 1970s, a revolutionary period in the city's
history. He describes how his firm, Jarrett Walker + Associates,
helps cities and regions think about public transit (hint: they aim
not to make recommendations but to help each client clarify their
own values and priorities). Courtney and Jarrett discuss his book,
Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking About Public Transit Can Enrich
Our Communities and Our Lives, and they delve into the role of the
private sector in transit operations. They close out their
conversation with a discussion of elite projection, the idea that
what a wealthy person might want for his or her city might not be
the best thing for the majority of its people.