Offered through our long-standing program, the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), we convene Portland's leading experts to teach multi-day workshops for active transportation professionals looking to hit the ground running (or cycling!) as they design multimodal options in their communities. We've been teaching these essential design skills for over a decade now, and have tutored over 550 professionals, from 34 states and 5 countries with many success stories.

Our experiential learning opportunities serve as a valuable source of knowledge, connections, and inspiration to each cohort. Want to be notified when we announce the next trainings? Fill out this interest form.

Student Study Abroad: Sustainable Transportation

This two-week Portland State University course (5 credits CE 495 / 595) offers an immersive experience to explore international approaches to cycling, transit, innovative mobility and land use. The curriculum provides a comparison between U.S. and European problems, priorities, and solutions. Specific emphasis on planning and engineering principles, policy, and practice will be explored through field trips, tours and guest lectures, while visiting The Netherlands, Sweden, or Denmark. Students completing this course will develop a broader understanding of sustainable transportation issues and expand their toolkit for context-sensitive solutions. We’ll examine how the urban areas and transportation systems of these countries have been designed to promote transportation by foot, bicycle, and public transit. Learn more about the annual study abroad.

Integrating Bike-Ped Topics into University Transportation Courses (for Faculty)

Hosted every summer since 2012, this two-day course is designed to help transportation planning and engineering faculty integrate bicycle and pedestrian topics into their courses. We focus on a holistic approach to teaching transportation engineering and planning by integrating design for bicycles and pedestrians. You'll gain an understanding of state-of-the art practice as well obtain learning materials and resources to broaden your curriculum and course design. Learn more about the annual Integrating Bike-Ped Topics into University Transportation Courses workshop.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design

As Portland, Oregon has put bikeway plans into effect, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t—how to plan effectively, design correctly and make investments that get results. We’ve distilled those lessons into this course, which covers the fundamentals of bikeway design and planning through an intensive week of interactive classroom, field tours, and design exercises. Instructors draw from their years of experience, along with project examples, to highlight practical applications of the principles and techniques covered. The pioneers and leading practitioners in the field will teach the fundamentals of bikeway planning and design through an intensive week of classroom sessions and tours. The instruction and interaction with other participants will bring you up to speed on innovative practice and research and teach you the skills and techniques you need to get started on your next project. Learn more about the annual Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop.

Creating Effective Active Transportation Programs

This three-day workshop offers strategies for building and strengthening communities around increased walking and bicycling. You'll learn and experience firsthand the design of various, successful active transportation programs that incorporate these strategies. We kick it off with city staff on a behind-the-scenes learning tour of Portland's Sunday Parkways, the city's premiere Open Streets initiative that attracts over 80,000 participants annually. The subsequent days will delve into other transportation demand management and transportation options programs that play a key role in helping more people to bike, walk, and use transit. This course offers insights and strategies to make the case for policymakers, inspire communities, and build a movement toward healthier, more active cities. Learn more about the Creating Effective Active Transportation Programs workshop.