The course explores examples of global transportation trends, policies and debates, and compares them to the Bay Area, California, and the US. We begin with an overview of the global proliferation of automobiles, and look at implications for global natural resources and the environment. Specifically, we examine the relationship between the globalization of automobiles and oil. Next, the course offers a comparison of key themes in transportation, including: (1) Road building in the Bay Area and a discussion of the politics of road building. We'll then review some case studies of road building politics around the world. (2) Transit policy in the Bay Area will include a review of San Francisco's “transit first” approach, the funding debate surrounding MUNI, and then a case study profile of Zurich, Switzerland. (3) Bicycling's re-emergence as utilitarian urban transportation mode and bicycling trends in San Francisco.