Thank You and Reflections on the District 11 Book Club

I want to thank Christof Spieler for serving as the featured speaker at the recent District 11 Book Club and discussing his new book, Transportation and the Shape of Cities (2026). I also want to thank Jen Walker and Courtney Koniezcko from 1000 Friends of Wisconsin for their assistance with the Q&A portion of the event, my son, James, for volunteering to take pictures, and everyone who attended  the book club last week and contributed to the discussion.

One reason I have hosted book clubs on city issues for the past five years is my belief that good government depends on an informed public. What stood out most to me when reading the book and hearing Christof speak was being reminded that transportation is not simply about engineering or moving people from one place to another. Transportation decisions reflect choices about values, priorities, and the kind of community we want to live and work in. Decisions about sidewalks, bike lanes, transit service, parking, and road design all involve tradeoffs that ultimately affect how people navigate and experience their city spaces.

That message resonated with me because it recognizes that planners, engineers, elected officials, and residents all bring valuable perspectives to the table. Technical expertise matters, but so does local knowledge and lived experience. The best transportation solutions emerge when professionals and community members listen to each other, work through challenges together, and make informed choices about the tradeoffs involved in designing transportation options for all people.