Promoting Sustainability through Transportation Infrastructure? Innovation and Inertia in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area

Abstract

City engineers and planners have a critical role to play in the advancement of sustainable transportation systems at the local level. Practices that promote water quality and/or public health through transportation infrastructure are two central components of this role. Yet, little is known about the decision processes local governments use to adopt these sorts of new practices. This study explores innovations related to sustainable transportation systems using the Kansas City, Missouri, metropolitan area. Interviews with engineers and planners reveal that the automobile still dominates planning and decision making. However, when water quality or public health goals come to the fore, important decision factors include the relative advantage and observability of the strategies themselves, leadership of elected officials and public works directors, perceptions of funding levels, educational opportunities provided by professional organizations, and federal mandates.