Planning for Transportation Transitions Beyond Vehicle Electrification

Vehicle electrification has become a central strategy for transportation decarbonization worldwide. While electrification is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it alone cannot create transportation systems that are equitable, accessible, and sustainable. Building on this premise, my research provides empirical evidence on how vehicle electrification policies are formulated, implemented, and governed, and how they influence car dependence and travel behavior across different social groups.

More broadly, I examine transportation transitions beyond vehicle electrification, asking how cities can reduce car dependence while expanding people's mobility choices. My research investigates how transportation transitions are governed across multiple institutional scales, examining the interactions among regional and local planning agencies, higher levels of government, transit agencies, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders in implementing decarbonization strategies. Given the political and institutional challenges of achieving sustainable transitions, I also examine how local political institutions and planning processes shape transportation policies—including street redesign, transit-oriented development, public transit investment, and fare policies—and how these interventions influence travel behavior, residential choices, and access to opportunities.

Through this line of research, I seek to identify governance and planning pathways that advance equitable mobility transitions by enabling transportation decarbonization while expanding mobility choices for diverse populations.