Jason Cao

Areas of Expertise

Transportation policy; land use and transportation interactions; neighborhood design and physical activity, telecommunication and travel; transit planning

Biography

Jason Cao is an assistant professor with the regional policy and planning area. His current research mainly focuses on land-use and transportation planning in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. He seeks to answer interrelated questions about how transportation investments influence urban development, how land-use patterns shape individuals’ behavior, and how land-use and transportation policies can be used to mitigate traffic congestion and improve our environment.

Cao previously worked as an associate research fellow with the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University. His work has appeared in journals spanning urban planning, public health, and transportation. He has been published in Environment and Planning, Journal of the American Planning Association, American Journal of Health Promotion, Transportation Research, and others.

Cao received an M.S. in statistics and a Ph.D. in civil and environment engineering with a specialization on transportation planning from the University of California-Davis. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. In 2006, he received the Wootan Award from the U.S. Council of University Transportation Centers for the best transportation policy/planning dissertation in the United States.

Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Courses Taught

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For syllabi for the current or upcoming semester, please visit the University of Minnesota's Course Guide and look for the syllabus icon. If the syllabus is not there, contact the instructor directly. Syllabi are available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Jeremy Gordon at gord0215@umn.edu or 612-624-7095 for assistance.

On leave during Spring 2011.

Fall 2012

• PA 5231: Transit Planning and Management

Spring 2013

• PA 8202: Networks and Places: Transportation, Land Use, and Design

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• Master of Public Policy (MPP)
• Master of Development Practice (MDP)
• Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
• Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (MS–STEP)
• Mid-career Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
Dual degrees with the schools of management (MPP/MBA), law, social work, public health, landscape architecture, and civil engineering Executive education, including a nonprofit management certificate