Street-Level Thriller

Travis Hugh Culley's novel takes the reader on a breakneck journey through a big city's streets while making a case for sensible city and transportation planning.

1 minute read

April 16, 2001, 5:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Travis Hugh Culley doesn't look like an urban theorist or the author of a dense memoir about the uses of space, the intricacies of transportation, and the way we'll live in the future." His novel "The Immortal Class: Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power" is a thriller set in the streets and alleys of Chicago and draws on his own experience as a bike messenger. "He praises the public transportation in cities such as Amsterdam...He admires the models of urban planning that require new developments in Copenhagen, Denmark, to be within five kilometers of a train station, to combat the suburban sprawl he sees marring much of America...The Library Journal praised it as 'more than a mere joy ride . . . a window into the bizarre and cult-like world of the bike courier and, more significantly, a passionate plea for more sensible city planning.'"

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Thursday, October 6, 2005 in Bergen Record

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Deer grazing on hillside with few snow patches at Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado.

New Trail Project Enhances Safety and Access to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Jefferson County is improving safe access to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge with new trails, a bridge, and signage, as part of the Rocky Mountain Greenway project, ensuring environmental safety and educating visitors about the site’s history.

15 minutes ago - Jefferson County

Abandoned industrial factory site.

Wisconsin Awarded $12 Million for Brownfield Redevelopment Amid Broader EPA Budget Cuts

The EPA provided the funding to Wisconsin for brownfield cleanups in cities like Milwaukee and Racine, even as broader agency budget cuts under the Trump administration raise concerns about future environmental protection capacity.

1 hour ago - Urban Milwaukee

People riding bike son paved greenway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indianapolis Advances Plans to Expand and Connect Citywide Greenway Network

Indianapolis is developing a new Greenways Strategic Implementation Plan to expand, connect, and modernize its trail system, aiming for over 250 miles of greenways that support sustainability, mobility, and community well-being.

2 hours ago - Indianapolis Recorder