Join us for the 2026 Ann Niles Active Transportation Lecture, featuring speakers Christof Spieler, David Copeland Loredo, and Mandi Chapa — authors of the new book, Transportation and the Shape of Cities. They'll discuss how each mode of urban transportation has inherent geometric properties that no amount of policy or design can change, and how understanding those properties is fundamental to good design in cities.
November 19, 2026
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Lincoln Recital Hall, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97201
RSVP now for this free event! (link pending)
Our Cities are Shaped by How We Move
Transportation in cities has one undeniable limitation: space. Our speakers will 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. This lecture will help professionals do that in whatever role they are in.
About the speakers
Christof Spieler, PE, AICP, LEED AP is Director of Transportation for Madison, Wisconsin. He was previously a planner in Houston, working with cities and agencies across the United States. He also taught at Rice University and served on the board of Houston METRO. He is the author of two editions of Trains, Buses, People, published in 2018 and 2021 by Island Press.
Armandina (Mandi) Chapa is a practicing planner with a background in architecture. She has contributed to projects in the Houston region, Texas, and across the United States, focusing on design, equity, inclusion, and creating connected places shaped by the community. Mandi is a Principal at Lionheart Places and a senior lecturer at Rice University, where she teaches urban transportation in the School of Architecture.
David Copeland Loredo, AICP is a planner and designer from Houston, Texas. His focus is on enhancing the quality of life through design. His work emphasizes legibility, accessibility, and enjoyability in projects ranging from logos to city planning. At Lionheart Places, David excels in graphic storytelling, cartography, and digital visualizations, aiming to communicate complex ideas and champion community identity.
To request reasonable accommodations, contact us at 503-725-2896 or asktrec@pdx.edu. In order to ensure that accommodations can be provided in time for this event, please make your request within seven business days before the event.
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The Ann Niles Active Transportation Lecture, first established by an endowment from the Niles family in 2011, is a unique opportunity to bring world-class thinkers on pedestrian and bicycle issues to Portland State University (PSU) and the active transportation community in the Portland metro region. The annual lecture serves as a legacy to Ann Niles, who was a strong advocate for livable neighborhoods and safer pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and served on many transportation-focused boards and committees in Portland. The forum furthers the mission of the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) program to facilitate the exchange of knowledge among scholars, practitioners, and community advocates around issues of active transportation. Ann Niles speakers offer a fresh perspective and driving passion for safe, healthy, and sustainable active transportation. By promoting dialogue across disciplines and interests, this lecture series supports PSU's mission to "let knowledge serve the city." Learn about past Ann Niles Active Transportation Lectures.
