You’re working on a transportation project. What’s the best way to stay current with industry trends?

1 Join professional associations

One of the best ways to stay current with industry trends is to join professional associations that represent your area of interest and expertise. For example, if you are working on urban transportation, you might want to join the American Planning Association (APA), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), or the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO). These associations offer various benefits, such as access to publications, newsletters, webinars, conferences, workshops, networking opportunities, and advocacy platforms. You can also participate in committees, task forces, or special interest groups that focus on specific topics or issues.

2 Follow relevant sources

Another way to stay current with industry trends is to follow relevant sources of information and knowledge. These can include academic journals, magazines, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, social media accounts, or websites that cover transportation planning topics. For example, you can subscribe to the Journal of Transport and Land Use, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) publications, the Planetizen blog, the Talking Headways podcast, the CityLab newsletter, or the Streetsblog network. You can also use tools like Google Alerts, Feedly, or Twitter lists to curate and filter the content that interests you.

3 Attend online events

A third way to stay current with industry trends is to attend online events that showcase the latest research, innovations, projects, and best practices in transportation planning. These can include webinars, workshops, courses, panels, forums, or summits that are organized by various organizations, institutions, or platforms. For example, you can attend the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) webinars, the Eno Center for Transportation courses, the World Bank Transport Forum, or the CoMotion LA summit. You can also look for online events that are relevant to your region, sector, or theme.

5 Learn new skills

A fifth way to stay current with industry trends is to learn new skills that can enhance your knowledge and competence as a transportation planner. You can enroll in online courses, programs, or certifications that teach you the latest theories, methods, tools, or applications in transportation planning. For example, you can learn about transportation modeling, data analysis, GIS, scenario planning, or public engagement. You can also explore new topics, such as mobility as a service, micromobility, smart cities, or climate resilience. You can find online courses on platforms like Coursera, edX, Udemy, or Skillshare.

6 Experiment and innovate

A sixth way to stay current with industry trends is to experiment and innovate with your own transportation planning projects. You can try new approaches, techniques, technologies, or solutions that can improve your performance, efficiency, or impact. You can also seek feedback, evaluation, or recognition from your clients, stakeholders, or peers. You can also share your results, lessons, or recommendations with the wider transportation planning community. You can also apply for grants, awards, or competitions that can support your innovation and learning.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?