The Institute for Transportation & Development Policy is proud to welcome Clayton Lane as our new chief executive officer, effective today, October 5. Lane comes to ITDP with two decades of experience in sustainable transport and will bring to the organization a fresh perspective on integrated land use planning, shared mobility and innovative tools to help cities improve performance.

“Clayton has been a driving force for sustainability throughout his career,” said Joe Ryan, ITDP board vice president and chair of the selection committee. “He joins ITDP at a pivotal moment for the organization—which is celebrating 30 years of success—and for the sustainable transport movement. He is a voice for innovative solutions at the policy level and on the ground to improve mobility and overall quality of life for people in cities around the world.”

“Clayton brings an entrepreneurial spirit and proven leadership that has built high-impact NGOs and pushed the frontier of sustainable transport,” says Robin Chase, co-founder of Zipcar and author of Peers Inc. “He is a constant builder and collaborator, with a passion for more equitable, environmentally smart cities. I am confident that with Clayton at the helm, ITDP will achieve even greater impact.”

Lane will continue ITDP’s work that has, for the past three decades, improved the quality of life for millions in over 100 cities and in more than 35 countries. ITDP’s projects have slashed around seven million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Since 2004 alone, ITDP has designed and supported 54 bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors that cover 1,033 kilometers—the distance between Paris and Berlin. Lane will help ITDP implement transportation solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emission and air pollution, while improving urban livability and economic opportunity.

“I am honored to join ITDP’s esteemed international team and build on such a rich history of achievements,” said Lane. “ITDP’s work in cities around the world shows that bold progress can be made toward walkable, bike-friendly, transit-accessible cities. Our challenge is to scale up these solutions and bring them to the tipping point—to move humanity in more equitable, livable, environmentally friendly ways. I am thrilled to help ITDP push the frontier of sustainable transport.”

Lane takes the reins from ITDP Interim CEO Heather Thompson, former vice president and co-founder of ClimateWorks Foundation, who will continue in her role as ITDP board member. “I am excited to work with Clayton to build on ITDP’s rich history of accomplishments,” said Thompson. “He has the expertise and vision that will help us push the cutting edge of sustainable transport.

Lane previously served as deputy director of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, where he played an instrumental role in establishing the program, and helped lead nearly 200 experts in 55 cities of China, India, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey to create more equitable, healthy, accessible, climate-friendly cities. An early result of the international team included 70 cities using WRI’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol to measure, report and set targets toward avoiding 77 million tons of CO2 emissions. The program has also catalyzed car-free “Rhaagiri” Sundays that are shifting public discourse about public space in 30 Indian cities. And Lane’s team successfully advised Chengdu’s “low-carbon blueprint,” which targets doubling public transit market share and is helping to shape Chinese national guidelines on low-carbon development.

Lane also co-founded PhillyCarShare and grew it to become the world’s largest regional car-sharing organization, serving 50,000 members with nearly 500 vehicles. The path-breaking initiative displaced approximately 20,000 cars, reduced driving by 50 million miles, and avoided 46,000 tons of CO2 emissions. PhillyCarShare won numerous accolades including Nonprofit of the Year, Best Places to Work, and EPA’s prestigious Environmental Achievement Award.

Lane began his career at Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) as a professional associate and lead planner. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering systems from the University of Pennsylvania, and master’s degrees in both transportation and city planning with an emphasis on international development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).