1. The BRT Corridor Design
Workshop
A semester long class taught simultaneously
Schools of Architecture and Planning and Engineering at
MIT and Schools of Engineering and Architecture, Design,
and Urban Studies (FADEU) of PUC-Chile.
Rosanna Forray, Rocio Hidalgo, Juan Carlos Munoz
Jan Wampler, Chris Zegras, John Attanucci, Nigel Wilson

2. Working hypothesis
• BRT systems can be a successful driver of
urban revitalization, conditional upon proper,
integrated design
– routes,
– public spaces,
– real estate projects,
– and related policy packages
• Testing this hypothesis requires a combination
of disciplines and contexts.

3. Partners
• Architecture and Planning (SAP) and the Dept. of Civil
and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at MIT and the
Schools of Engineering and Architecture, Design, and
Urban Studies (FADEU) of PUC-Chile.
• Academics and graduate students from both
institutions
• A selection of 15 Master’s students from Academic
Departments at both universities (i.e., 30 total) who
will complete the semester-long workshop, for credit.
• This collaboration builds from previous professional
and personal experiences among the members

4. Overall Objectives
1. help fill a practical knowledge gap regarding
urban design for BRT implementation using real
BRT examples from different urban contexts,
2. develop and demonstrate innovative design
solutions for actual on-the-ground conditions;
and,
3. teach the next generation of urban designers
and transportation planners how to integrate
BRT and urban design.

5. BRT Design Objectives
• Identify conditions necessary for urban design to lead
to “successful” BRT
– including equitable and inclusionary processes and
outcomes
• We will examine
– the corridors themselves (allocation of space to different
vehicles, modes, and activities);
• urban space and its role in mitigating the adverse
elements of BRT that might inhibit urban revitalization;
• policy and social measures that can lead to equitable
outcomes, with particular attention to housing
availability and affordability.

6. Approach

7. Approach: Workshop Specifics
• Simultaneously implemented in both universities
– enable cross-learning across the contexts and the
various disciplines involved.
• Broad parameters for student “design”:
– Can BRT deliver TOD by integrating BRT corridors and
stations into the urban physical and social fabrics in
which it operates?
• Focus on innovations, with integral vision from
the “vehicles to the buildings”

8. Project Phases
• Workshop Preparation: January, 2013-August, 2013.
– Developing all necessary support materials
– Selecting participating students.
• Workshop Implementation: August, 2013-December, 2013
– Beginning August, 2013. PUC Students start work on the Santiago Corridor.
– Week of 26 August, 2013. MIT students and faculty visit Santiago.
– Sept-October, 2013: Classes proceed in parallel, focusing on Santiago Corridor.
– Week of 14 (or 21) October: PUC students and faculty visit MIT.
– October-December, 2013: Classes proceed in parallel, focusing on Boston Corridor.
– December, 2013-January, 2014: Final presentations of final products.
• Post-Workshop Synthesis: January-May 2014
– Final, bi-lingual project report and website
– site-specific proposals;
– generalizable design recommendations
– educational lessons.
• Project Continuation….?

9. In Sum
• Bring together multi-disciplinary mix of students and faculty:
– Urban planning and policy;
– Urban design and architecture;
– Transportation planning and engineering.
• Objectives:
– develop new pedagogical techniques,
– new urban design/planning/transportation innovations,
– new levels of trans-disciplinary knowledge among the students, and
– experience in working in the field for specific clients and a range of stakeholder
groups.
• Offer experiences working, collaboratively:
– across disciplines;
– for a “client” on a “real” project;
– in two distinct contexts;
– across different cultures.