Mobility Madness Seminar: Kristi Currans

This event will feature a seminar and a fireside chat with Kristi Currans from the University of Arizona.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Seminar | 2 - 3 p.m. | Caddell Flex Space

Fireside Chat | 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. | Arch West 155
 

Kristi Currans

Bio: 

Kristina Currans, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning with a doctorate in Civil Engineering (transportation focus). She studies the intersection between transportation and land use development, spanning between the transportation planning and engineering disciplines. Currans is also a senior researcher on the Department of Energy's Southwest Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL), and in this effort, she is leading both the mobility heat resilience subproject and coordinating the Tucson Testbed activities.

 

Seminar: 

Efforts to Explore Arizonians’ Relationships between Heat and Mobility in the Southwest Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL)  

 

Abstract: 

Students use a measuring device on a cart.

Chronic heat influences the everyday behaviors of people, including their short- and long-term choices, activities, modes of commute, and the use of teleservices. In this study, we conducted an original survey conducted during June 2025 to capture the reported mobility and activity patterns of Arizona residents during the heat season as part of the DOE's Southwest Integrated Field Laboratory (SW-IFL).

In this presentation, we will explore the results from this survey, including Arizonians’ reported changes in travel and activity characteristics during heat seasons, access and use of cooling strategies in the home, and their corresponding perceptions/attitudes on heat, travel, and health during summer. We will also cover an overview of SW-IFL activities in Tucson that aim to bridge climate science with policy, planning, and design.