Walter B. Hook

Who is Walter B. Hook?

Walter B. Hook is an urban planner and expert in the field of sustainable transportation policy and practice. Since 1993, Hook has worked as the Executive Director for the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, a nonprofit agency that promotes environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation policies and projects in the developing world. Under the auspices of ITDP, Hook has worked on the design and implementation of numerous bus rapid transit systems in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and is considered a leading expert on BRT design and policy. In recent years, he has collaborated extensively with Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, and creator of the TransMilenio, one of the world's premier BRT systems. Additionally, Hook has campaigned for sustainable transport and urban planning practices in the U.S..

Hook received his PhD in Urban Planning from Columbia University in 1996 and taught as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning from 1994 until 1996, and again in 1999. He holds a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a BA from the Johns Hopkins University.