Ralph Buehler’s research interests fall into three areas: (1) the influence of transport policy, land use, and socio-demographics on travel behavior; (2) active travel and public health; and (3) public transport demand, supply, financial efficiency, and policy. Most of his research has an international comparative perspective, contrasting transport and land-use policies, transport systems, and travel behavior in Western Europe and North America. For a pdf version of the CV click here.
Ralph’s research, outreach, and teaching seek to advance the understanding of determinants of individual travel behavior and the sustainability of transport systems. The goal is to identify and share policy lessons on how to achieve a more environmentally sound, economically efficient, and socially equitable urban transport system. Leveraging a comparative analysis framework, his research effectively contrasts travel behavior, socioeconomic factors, land use, transport policies, and the sustainability of transport systems at city, regional, and national scales in North America and Western Europe. Couched in solid theoretical frameworks and including national and international best practices, his work helps inform policy makers and contributes to the development of students in the field of planning.
Ralph’s research has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, The Brookings Institution, the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC), the Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center (MAUTC), Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research (MATS-UTC), the SAFE-D (Safety through Disruption) University Transportation Center, the European Commission, the United Nations, the Volvo Foundation, IFMO, INFAS, SAFE-D, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Park Service, the Alliance for Biking and Walking, and Spin. He has received fellowships from the ENO Foundation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the American Institute of Contemporary German Studies.
Born and raised in Germany, he has gained research and work experience in his home country, the UK, France, and the USA. Ralph holds a PhD in Planning and Public Policy and a Masters of City and Regional Studies from Rutgers University, as well as a Masters in Politics and Management from the University of Konstanz, Germany. His dissertation “Transport Policies, Travel Behavior, and Sustainability: A Comparison of Germany and the U.S.” was honored with the “Barclay Gibbs Jones Award for Best Dissertation in Planning 2008” by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).
Ralph Buehler 