Transportation networks create the frenetic pulse of the city, and play a crucial role in how the metropolis develops. Economic and cultural growth is dependent on our ability to efficiently and affordably get from one place to another, yet political and economic agendas significantly shape these projects and can muddle project outcomes. In this trans-disciplinary seminar, we will study the key roles played by transportation and infrastructure in shaping how cities and urban regions develop, grow, and change. We will consider the interwoven, and often conflictual, elements of history, politics, demographics, environmental consequences, design, space and culture. Our readings and case studies will explore recent radical innovations in transport mobility, exploring U.S. and global case studies of high-speed rail, bus rapid transit (BRT), and bicycle infrastructure, including Bogota’s Transmilenio and Copenhagen’s famed bike lane network. Students will develop the skills to identify and analyze a myriad of complex mobility challenges currently faced by cities. At points throughout the semester, technical experts and scholars will join the class to share their work and knowledge. Students will produce upper-level research, wherein they further examine key elements of questions raised in seminar discussions. Through completing these analytic assignments, students will gain substantial empirical knowledge about the crucial role of transportation networks and infrastructure in urban life.