Abstract
This paper examines the role of the automobile in U.S. culture and relates it to the challenges facing urban planners. The automobile as a cultural metaphor, as an enabler of mobility and urban form, and as the basis of urban transport policies is described. Future trends are investigated that will influence the types of challenges likely to be faced by U.S. urban planners. A coordinated urban transport policy is defined as one consisting of managing transportation supply, transportation demand, and land use.