Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Gabe Klein

Gabe Klein Talks About Getting Sh*t Done in His New Book, “Start-Up City”

Streets can be tough to change. Between institutional inertia, tight budgets, bureaucratic red tape, and the political risks of upsetting the status quo, even relatively simple improvements for walking, biking, or transit can take years to pull off -- if they ever get implemented at all.

But a new generation of transportation officials have shown that it doesn't have to be that way. Cities can actually "get shit done," as former DC and Chicago transportation commissioner Gabe Klein puts it in his new book from Island Press, Start-Up City.

Streetfilms and our producer, Mark Gorton, recently got to sit down (and walk around) with Gabe to talk about the ideas in the book, which ties together his career as a transportation commissioner and his experience in start-ups like Zipcar. Start-Up City is filled with advice about how to get projects done quickly while choosing the best option for the public (and, of course, having fun). You can get a flavor for the book in this extensive interview with Gabe.

Full disclosure: Gabe Klein sits on the board of OpenPlans, the non-profit that produces Streetfilms and Streetsblog. This video is made possible by the Knight Foundation.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Opinion: Cars Have Fucked Up This Country Bad

Fact: The car-centric age of development is one long mistake.

September 10, 2024

Tuesday’s Headlines Let There Be Light

Lack of adequate lighting is the No. 1 reason women cite for being afraid to walk or take transit at night.

September 10, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Are Behind the Eight Ball

A recently awarded round of federal street safety grants have won some praise — but it's still just a drop in the bucket as pedestrian deaths remain high.

September 9, 2024

Car Dependency is a Public Health Threat — But Americans are Too ‘Car Brained’ To See It

Whether you call it "windshield bias" or "motonormativity," Americans have a serious bias towards automobiles — and they're all too willing to accept car dependency's many downsides.

September 9, 2024

Where Can a Body Safely Park a Bike?

This group wants to map, rate, and review bike parking everywhere — with your help.

September 6, 2024
See all posts