The document outlines President Obama's vision for a national high-speed rail network in the United States. It describes the benefits of high-speed rail, such as traveling between cities quickly without the hassles of air travel like airport security or flight delays. President Obama envisions a system that would allow people to walk to public transportation stations and travel at speeds over 100 miles per hour between towns. He quotes Daniel Burnham who said "make no little plans" and believes this philosophy should apply to rebuilding America's infrastructure through ambitious projects like a high-speed rail network.

1. “What we’re talking about is a vision
for high-speed rail in America…”

3. “What we’re talking about is a vision
for high-speed rail in America…
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

4. …imagine boarding a train in the
center of a city…
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

5. …no racing to an airport and across
a terminal, no delays, no sitting on
the tarmac, no lost luggage, no
taking off your shoes.…
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

6. …imagine whisking through towns at
speeds over 100 miles an hour.…
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

7. …WALKING only a few steps to
public transportation and ending up
just blocks from your destination…
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

8. …Imagine what a great project that
would be to rebuild America.”
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

9. ”’Make no little plans.’ That's what
Daniel Burnham said in Chicago. I
believe that about America: Make
no little plans.”
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

10. "Make no little plans." That's what
Daniel Burnham said in Chicago. I
believe that about America: Make
no little plans.”
President Barack Obama
April 16th, 2009

14. Great Hall
LOOP
Downtown Chicago
U N IO N S T A T IO N
CHICAGO
ARCHITECTS
D.H. Burnham & Company
Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White

15. U N IO N S T A T IO N
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ARCHITECTS
Daniel Burnham
Pierce Anderson

18. U N IO N S T A T IO N
DENVER
ARCHITECTS
Gove + Walsh

19. Howard A. Learner is an experienced attorney who
serves as the President and Executive Director of the
Environmental Law and Policy Center - the
Midwest's leading public interest environmental
legal advocacy and eco-business innovation
organization. Mr. Learner is responsible for the
overall strategic leadership, policy direction and
financial platform for ELPC's successful work
promoting clean energy development solutions to
global warming problems, improving the Midwest's
environmental quality, and preserving the region's
natural resources and heritage. One of ELPC's
premises is that environmental progress and
economic development can be achieved together.
Mr. Learner's leadership work to help develop a
Midwest high-speed rail network, which can produce
complementary environmental quality, economic
development and employment benefits, puts that
sustainable development policy principle into
practice. Mr. Learner is a Professor at Northwestern
University Law School, teaching an advanced
Howard A. Learner seminar on environmental law and sustainable
Executive Director development, and has a lecturer appointment at the
University of Chicago where he teaches
Environmental Law & Policy Center environmental law. J.D., Harvard Law School, 1980;
B.A., University of Michigan, 1976.

20. Chris Leinberger is a land use strategist, developer
and author, helping to make progressive
development profitable. He is a Professor of Practice
and the Director of the Graduate Real Estate
Program at the University of Michigan. He is also a
Visiting Fellow at The Brookings Institution in
Washington, DC, focusing on research and practices
that help transform traditional and suburban
downtowns and other places that provide "walkable
urbanity". In addition, he is a founding partner of
Arcadia Land Company, a progressive real estate
development firm with projects in downtown
Albuquerque, Independence, Missouri, Seaside,
Florida, and five projects in the Philadelphia
metropolitan area. Chris has written award-winning
articles for publications such as the Atlantic
Monthly, Wall Street Journal, Urban Land magazine,
among others, and is the author or has contributed
chapters to six books. He has been profiled by
national broadcast and print media such as CNN,
Today Show, National Public Radio, Progressive
Christopher Leinberger Architecture, among others. Chris is a graduate of
Swarthmore College and Harvard Business School.
President
His wife, Lisa, and he live in the DuPont Circle area of
Locus Responsible Real Estate Washington, DC, within walking distance of both a
Developers and Investors Metro station and Brookings.

21. Geoff Anderson is the President and CEO of Smart
Growth America. Geoff came to his current position in
January 2008 after 13 years at the US EPA where he
headed the agency's Smart Growth Program. During his
tenure at EPA, he was instrumental in creating the
Agency's Smart Growth program, he helped to found
the Smart Growth Network, the New Partners for Smart
Growth Conference, and the popular web site
www.smartgrowth.org. In addition, he provided seed
funding for and helped to catalyze the creation of the
National Vacant Properties Campaign, The LEED for
Neighborhood Development Certification program, and
the Governors' Institute for Community Design.
He has co-authored numerous publications including:
This Is Smart Growth, Getting to Smart Growth Volumes
1 and 2, Protecting Water Resources with Higher
Density Development, The Transportation and
Environmental Impacts of Infill vs. Greenfield
Development and many others. His work also included
direct technical assistance, helping with smart growth
implementation in communities nationwide including
Cheyenne, WY, Prince George's County, MD, and the
Geoff Anderson flagship smart growth project Atlantic Station in
President + CEO Atlanta, Ga. Geoff received a Masters Degree from Duke
University's Nicholas School of the Environment with a
Smart Growth America
concentration in Resource Economics and Policy.