Irvin Dawid discovered Planetizen when a classmate in an urban planning lab at San Jose State University shared it with him in 2003. When he left San Jose State that year, he took with him an interest in Planetizen, if not the master's degree in urban & regional planning.
As a long-time environmental activist, he formed the Sustainable Land Use committee for his local Sierra Club chapter and served six years on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Advisory Council from 2002-2008. He maintains his interest in air quality by representing Sierra Club California on the Clean Air Dialogue, a working group of the Calif. Environmental Dialog representing business, regulatory and public health/environmental interests.
Major interests include transportation funding, e.g., gas taxes, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees, road tolls and energy subsidies that lead to unlevel playing fields for more sustainable choices.
He hails from Queens (Bayside) and Long Island (Great Neck); received an AAS in Fisheries & Wildlife Technology from SUNY Cobleskill and a B.S. from what is now Excelsior College.
After residing for three years on California’s North Coast, he’s lived on the San Francisco Peninsula since 1983, including 24 years in Palo Alto. Home is now near downtown Burlingame, a short bike-ride to the Caltrain station.
He’s been car-free since driving his 1972 Dodge Tradesman maxi-van, his means to exit Long Island in 1979, to the junkyard in 1988.
Major forms of transportation: A 1991 'citybike' and monthly Caltrain pass, zone 2-2. "It's no LIRR, but it may be the most bike friendly train in America."
Irvin can be reached at [email protected]
How Environment and Energy Ballot Measures Fared in Tuesday's Election
More than the president was decided. Results are in on a Washington carbon tax, a California plastic bag ban, a Sunshine State restriction on solar panels, and on a ban on oil drilling in a California county that actually has oil drilling.
Problems on Denver's New Commuter Rail Lines Threaten Shutdown by Federal Regulators
The problems caused by crossing gates for the new A and B Lines are so serious that the Federal Railroad Administration had threatened to close both lines on Nov. 5. They granted the Regional Transit District a 90-day waiver.
An Early Win for Clinton on the Penultimate Day of Election
With Pennsylvania a battleground state and Philadelphia a Democratic stronghold, ensuring that transit-dependent voters get to the polls was a given, but a transit strike beginning Nov. 1 threatened to derail access. The strike was settled Monday.
Another Reason to Watch Florida on Election Day
While Florida may well determine who becomes the next president, renewable energy advocates are worried about a measure on the ballot that will have far-reaching effects on solar power should it pass.
Tuesday's Election May Hinge on the Changing Demographics of Suburbs
Today's suburbs have changed dramatically from a generation ago. Younger, more diverse, and more liberal, they are "trending more Democratic." The PBS News Hour explores this critical demographic shift five days before Election Day.