Author Gabe Klein will appear in Des Moines Oct. 5 to discuss how cities can borrow techniques from startups to make changes to transportation offerings more quickly. Klein, a former Zipcar executive and past transportation commissioner for Washington, D.C., and Chicago, is the author of “Start-Up City: Inspiring Public & Private Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having Fun.” He will speak at 5:30 p.m. at the State Historical Building. A reception begins at 4:30. The appearance is part of the Tomorrow Plan’s speaker series. “With seemingly insurmountable environmental problems created just since the Industrial Revolution, compounded by an ever expanding population, and a culture that accepts an unacceptable death rate on our streets, the time to act is now,” Klein writes in his book. The event is free and open to the public.