Jeff Brown

Biography

I am interested in planning transportation systems that people can use to safely, economically, and effectively meet their mobility needs. My interest in transportation dates back to my childhood in Southern California where an early fascination with the extensive local freeway system grew into a curiosity about cars, trains, buses, and planes and how their use shaped cities and affected the lives of city residents. My research explores: the role of public transportation in contemporary cities; transportation finance; the interplay between the finance, planning, and use of transportation systems; the relationship between transportation and the built environment; and the history of planning. My most recent work includes an examination of streetcar systems in US cities and an assessment of strategies for transit to serve aging populations, particularly those residing in rural areas and small communities.

Education

Ph.D. (Urban Planning) UCLA, 2003.
M.A. (Urban Planning) UCLA, 1998.
B.A. (Geography) UCLA, 1996.

Selected Publications

Mendez, J., & Brown, J. (2019). The Relationship between Streetcars and Development Activity: An Examination of Portland and Seattle. Transportation Research Record, 2673 (2), 172-182. doi:10.1177/0361198119825647

Wood, J., & Brown, J. (2019). A Marvelous Machine: Creative Approaches to Securing Funding and Building Public Support for Streetcar Projects in Four U.S. Cities. Transportation Research Record, 2673 (1), 369-378. doi:10.1177/0361198118821317

Brown, J., & Mendez, J. (2018). Examining the Development Effects of Modern-Era Streetcars: An Assessment of Portland and Seattle. San Jose, CA: Mineta Transportation Institute. Report 18-09.

Brown, J. R., Duncan, M., Horner, M. W., Bond, M., & Wood, J. (2018). Provider Perspectives on Six Strategies to Overcome the Barriers to Older Adult Use of Alternative Transportation Services: Evidence from Seven Communities. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 6 (2), 237-245. doi:doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2018.04.004

Bond, M., Brown, J. R., & Wood, J. (2017). Adapting to Challenge: An Examination of Older Adult Transportation in Rural and Small Communities. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 5 (4), 707-715. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2017.07

Jaroszynski, M., Brown, J. R., & Bhattacharya, T. (2017). An Examination of the Relationship between Urban Decentralization and Transit Decentralization in a Small-sized U.S. Metropolitan Area. Urban Studies, 54 (6), 1500-1518. doi:0.1177/0042098015626687

Mendez, J., & Brown, J. R. (2017). Planning Approaches in Contracted U.S. Fixed-Route Bus Transit Service: The Role of the Private Sector Within the Planning Process and Its Influence on Performance Outcomes. Transportation Research Record, No 2651, 2651, 52-59. doi:10.3141/2651-06

You can find a lengthier list of my work by clicking on my CV above. You can find a discussion of the department’s transportation research at the transportation, land use and accessibility research webpage.