Randal O'Toole
Senior Fellow
Randal O'Toole is a Cato Institute Senior Fellow working on urban growth, public land, and transportation issues. O'Toole's research on national forest management, culminating in his 1988 book, Reforming the Forest Service, has had a major influence on Forest Service policy and on-the-ground management. His analysis of urban land-use and transportation issues, brought together in his 2001 book, The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths, has influenced decisions in cities across the country. In his most recent book, The Best-Laid Plans, O'Toole calls for repealing federal, state, and local planning laws and proposes reforms that can help solve social and environmental problems without heavy-handed government regulation.
O'Toole is the author of numerous Cato papers. He has also written for Regulation magazine as well as op-eds and articles for numerous other national journals and newspapers. He also has a daily blog called The Antiplanner. O'Toole travels extensively and has spoken about free-market environmental issues dozens of cities. An Oregon native, O'Toole was educated in forestry at Oregon State University and in economics at the University of Oregon.
Media Contact: 202-789-5200
To Book a Speaking Engagement: 202-789-5226
E-Mail: rotoole@cato.org
Books and Book Chapters
The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths: How Smart Growth Will Harm American Cities, (2001)
Reforming the Forest Service, (1988)
Cato Studies
"Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?," Policy Analysis no. 615, April 14, 2008.
"The Planning Tax: The Case against Regional Growth-Management Planning," Policy Analysis no. 606, December 6, 2007.
"Do You Know the Way to L.A.? San Jose Shows How to Turn an Urban Area into Los Angeles in Three Stressful Decades," Policy Analysis no. 602, October 17, 2007.
"Debunking Portland: The City That Doesn't Work," Policy Analysis no. 596, July 9, 2007.
"The Perfect Firestorm: Bringing Forest Service Wildfire Costs under Control," Policy Analysis no. 591, April 30, 2007.
Articles and Newsletters
"Why Government Planning Always Fails," Cato's Letter, vol. 6, no. 1, Winter 2008.
Opinion and Commentary
"Focus on Fuel-Friendly Cars, Not Rail," Seattle Times, May 1, 2008
"Costs Will Outweigh Benefits," Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, February 8, 2008
"Don't Hobble Houston with Land Planning," Houston Chronicle, January 19, 2008
"When Government Plans, It Usually Fails," The Baltimore Sun, December 27, 2007
"Paying the Planning Tax," American Spectator (Online), December 6, 2007
Events
"Relief from Gridlock: Surface Transportation Reauthorization in 2009," May 27, 2008 [Policy Forum]
"The Best-Laid Plans: Congress Should Repeal Planning Requirements in Federal Surface Transportation Law," January 25, 2008 [Capitol Hill Briefing]
"The Best-Laid Plans: How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future," October 30, 2007 [Book Forum]
"The Best-Laid Plans: Why Congress Should Repeal Federal Planning Laws," October 24, 2007 [Book Forum]
"The Perfect Firestorm: Controlling Forest Service Wildfire Costs," July 26, 2007 [Policy Forum]
Multimedia
"Tax Increment Financing" featuring Randal O'Toole, October 30, 2007 [Flash Audio, 07:25]
"Burning California" featuring Randal O'Toole, October 26, 2007 [Flash Audio, 09:04]
"The Best Laid Plans: Transportation" featuring Randal O'Toole, October 12, 2007 [Flash Audio, 09:47]
"Zoning's Best Laid Plans" featuring Randal O'Toole, September 18, 2007 [Flash Audio, 07:24]
"Fighting 'Urban Sprawl'" featuring Randal O'Toole, August 27, 2007 [Flash Audio, 07:18]