Making Transit Fun!: How to Entice Motorists from Their Cars (and onto their feet, a bike, or bus) [Kindle Edition]

Darrin Nordahl (Author)

Book Description

Why do people in Stockholm prefer to take the stairs over the escalator? Why do Londoners enjoy hanging out at bus stops? How do carmakers convince us to buy gas-guzzling, environmentally damaging, and wallet-draining machines? It's called the fun theory. What Darrin Nordahl illustrates in this delightful book is that transit can be just as inviting, exciting, and even seductive as the automobile, if designed with the passenger experience in mind. In Making Transit Fun!, Nordahl shows that with the help of architects, urban designers, graphic artists, industrial engineers, marketing experts-and even fashion designers-we can lure people out of their automobiles and toward healthier, more sustainable methods of transportation. This accessible E-ssential focuses on the possibilities for making public transit, cycling, and walking more appealing to the motorist. In each section, Nordahl demonstrates how the transit stigma can be overcome with innovative design. From the aesthetics of buses to segregated bike lanes and pedestrian-priority streets, Nordahl showcases examples from around the world that excite the heart and bring an easy smile.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[This] potent new e-book, Making Transit Fun!, has all the enthusiasm for buses, trains, and bike lanes that its title's exclamation point implies. Can transit incorporate art? Yes! How about playground equipment? You bet. Even ... sex? Oh yeah, baby." - Grist

"Nordahl's book is a reminder that transit has only lost when it aims low. We should always be looking for joy, even on the bus." - The Atlantic Cities

Product Details

• File Size: 4240 KB
• Print Length: 136 pages
• Publisher: Island Press (April 13, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007SO37YC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,068 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #11 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Mass Transit
  • #48 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Mass Transit
  • #57 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Urban & Land Use Planning

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I got a lot out of this little book April 2, 2013

By Kjirsten

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The ideas in this book come from all over - and they are well researched. As a transportation planner, I'm familiar with most of this material, but Nordahl came at things with a different perspective - a fun perspective - that is noticeably absent in my government agency. That sense of fun - of what kids would love and adults will enjoy paying for - was a reset for my "government making something worthwhile" mode of thinking.

More About the Author

Darrin's books have been featured in a wide media continuum, from The American Conservative to Jezebel, the sex, fashion, and gossip website for women. He has been interviewed by NPR, Bloomberg News, The Globe and Mail, and television, magazines, and newspapers throughout the United States and Canada

For more information on Darrin's speaking schedule and biography, please visit his Facebook page or his website: darrinnordahl.com.