David Zipper

Mobility · Cities · Technology

Writing | Podcasts | Speaking | Media

David Zipper writes, thinks, and speaks about transportation, cities, and technology.

A Contributing Writer at Bloomberg and cohost of the podcast Look Both Ways with David & Wes, David is currently working on a book about congestion pricing, to be published by MIT Press in partnership with Penguin Random House.

David's perspectives on transportation and urban development are rooted in his experiences working within city hall as well as in venture capital. He has advised numerous startups and public agencies about regulatory approaches and has helped foundations develop strategies to improve mobility. David publishes Paved with Good Intentions, a free newsletter about the future of transportation.

David has written 200+ stories for outlets including The Atlantic, Slate, and The Financial Times. He writes often about topics including autonomous vehicles, car design, street safety, and public transit. A frequent keynote speaker, David has given talks at events including CES, SXSW, the Smart Cities Expo, and the FIA Global Conference. He has been been quoted in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times and has been interviewed on CNN, NBC Nightly News, and the BBC.

From 2024 to 2026, David was a Senior Fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative. He was previously a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Managing Director for Smart Cities and Mobility at 1776, a global venture capital fund and startup hub. Earlier in his career, David served as the Director of Business Development and Strategy under two mayors in Washington DC, where he led support to Washington’s first startup incubators and guided the city's response to the emergence of ride hail services. Before moving to Washington, David served as Executive Director of NYC Business Solutions in New York City under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

David holds a BA from Swarthmore College (High Honors), an MBA from Harvard (Highest Honors) and an MPhil in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge. He has been selected as a Truman Scholar, a Gates Scholar, and a Baker Scholar.

To learn more about why (and how) I do what I do, click here.