District 11 Book Club: "Transportation and the Shape of Cities" with Christof Spieler, September 23rd at 7:00 pm

Christof Spieler will be the featured speaker at this District 11 Book Club event highlighting his new book, Transportation and the Shape of Cities (Princeton University Press, 2026).

Drawing from the book, Spieler will discuss how transportation shapes cities, with a focus on Madison's evolving transportation network. The book examines the five major nodes of U. S. transportation, from walking and bicycling to automobiles, trains, and transit, and explores how they influence urban design and community development.

This free event is co-sponsored by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. All are welcome to attend, and prior reading of the book is not required. A few copies of the book and printouts of the book's introduction are available for loan at the Ask Desk at Sequoya Library, first-come first-served. 

The District 11 Book Club is a free community discussion group, hosted by Madison District 11 Alder Bill Tishler, that explores the intersection of urban planning, city growth, transportation, environmental stewardship, and public policy.

Sequoya Library
4340 Tokay Blvd
Meeting Rooms A and B Combined
Sep 23, 2026 | 7 - 8:30pm

About the book:

Transportation in cities has one undeniable limitation: space. Each mode of urban transportation has inherent geometric properties that no amount of policy or design can change.

In Transportation and the Shape of Cities, transportation experts Christof Spieler, David Copeland Loredo, and Mandi Chapa take a comprehensive look at the five major modes of US transportation--pedestrian, micromobility (including the bicycle), car, train, and transit. For each, they consider the theory and discuss its geometry, how it works as a network, its role in the transportation system, and how it fits into urban design.

Transportation matters because it shapes all of our lives. We can make transportation networks better through thoughtful design, informed policy, and inclusive conversations. Transportation and the Shape of Cities is designed to help professionals to do that in whatever role they are in.

Praise for the book:

“Transportation affects how we live, work, and play, but not many books explain how the whole system actually fits together. This is a practical, easy-to-read resource for professionals, students, and anyone who wants to understand how transportation shapes our communities. Honestly, it's the kind of book our industry needs."—Veronica O. Davis, PE, civil engineer and author of Inclusive Transportation

“If you have anything to do with designing transportation or cities, this book should be on your desk. When I was a young engineer, I was taught that bigger means better. It doesn't. We'd all be better off if designers understood the geometry of each transportation mode and how those limits shape our cities."—Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, professor at the University of Colorado Denver, cohost of the Look Both Ways with David & Wes podcast, and author of Killed by a Traffic Engineer