1. P R O F I L E S
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Robert T. Dunphy
Consultant
C
onsultant, teacher, and author Robert T. Dunphy developers in the institute’s smart growth program, created a
has led instrumental research on transportation shared parking methodology that now serves as the industry
aspects of land development and the politics of standard, collaborated in research projects with the Texas Trans-
growth. As a consultant, his work has included the portation Institute and the University of California, and led pre-
redevelopment of Tysons Corner, Virginia, a major suburban sentations and forums for business and real estate leaders. In
center in metropolitan Washington, D.C.; an evaluation of fed- 2004, ULI published the best-selling Developing Around Tran-
eral transportation stimulus funds on Florida’s major regions; sit: Strategies and Solutions that Work, of which Dunphy was
a long-term vision for transit in Charlottesville, Virginia; and lead author and project director, along with several colleagues.
case studies of sustainable suburbs. At Georgetown University, He has been a frequent contributor to the ULI magazine, Urban
he teaches a course on transit-oriented development and Land, as well as to TR News and the Transportation Research
advises students in the real estate program. He is an emeritus Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
fellow of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), where for more than Dunphy traces his interest in transportation planning to his
20 years he worked with a range of groups to find transporta- student days at CUA and daily observation of Washington,
tion solutions that sustain urban places. D.C.’s traffic patterns. “It is somewhat like understanding
stream flow, which has many similarities to traffic,”
he observes. “The difference is that we are dealing
with people, who are amazingly complex. Research
“Research is essential to is essential to understanding the long-term implica-
understanding the long-term tions of transportation improvements beyond short-
term congestion reduction.”
implications of transportation Dunphy’s outreach efforts have garnered a wide
audience, with presentations at national conferences
improvements beyond short- of ULI, TRB, the World Bank, the National Associa-
term congestion reduction.” tion of Regional Councils, the American Associa-
tion of State Highway and Transportation Officials,
the American Public Transportation Association, the
National Governors Association, and Al Gore’s sum-
“Research is essential for offering creative, effective solutions mit on climate change, as well as regional programs in more
to a public that is impatient for answers and does not discrim- than 30 major U.S. cities and several international programs. He
inate as to their sources—including experts from other profes- organized a ULI Policy Forum on Congestion Charging in Lon-
sions,” Dunphy observes, noting that transportation research don in 2003.
often has been mischaracterized as an impediment to growth The importance of parking cannot be overlooked in land
and development, when instead it should be seen as a guide. development, Dunphy emphasizes: “A developer who comes
“As researchers, we need to recognize the public’s interests and up with a better parking solution will create better projects with
do a better job of communicating what the real choices are and a competitive advantage.” He has shared his findings on park-
what we recommend,” he adds. ing issues in such publications as Shared Parking (2005),
Dunphy received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering Dimensions of Parking (2000), and Parking Requirements of
from the Catholic University of America (CUA) and a master’s Shopping Centers (1999).
degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University. His Dunphy is an emeritus member of the TRB Transportation
transportation planning career began with Alan M. Voorhees & and Land Development Committee, which he joined in 1986
TR NEWS 273 MARCH–APRIL 2011
Associates. Before joining ULI as Senior Research Director in and chaired from 1997 to 2003. In his early years with TRB,
1985, he held a senior position with the National Capital Dunphy served on the Transportation Demand Forecasting
Region Transportation Planning Board and was a senior con- Committee, Transportation Data and Information Systems
sultant with PRC Engineering. He wrote Moving Beyond Grid- Committee, and the Strategies to Implement Benefit-Sharing for
lock: Traffic and Development in 1997 and Transportation and Fixed Transit Facilities Committee. He currently is a member
Growth: Myth and Fact, revised in 1996; the works helped estab- of the Transportation Issues in Major U.S. Cities Committee
lish ULI as a credible source of objective guidance for trans- and the planning committee for the Conference on Research
portation and land use planning. Perspectives on Transportation Systems for Livable Commu-
In 1999, Dunphy became senior resident fellow at ULI. He nities. Dunphy has chaired two expert task groups for the sec-
52 directed research and coordinated strategies for planners and ond Strategic Highway Research Program.