Equity Considerations: Complete Streets For Whom?
Tom Sanchez – Professor and Chair, Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech (PPT)
Sunyoung Yang – Senior Organizer and Researcher, Labor/Community Strategy Center, Bus Riders Union (PPT)
Jackie Douglas – Director, LivableStreets Alliance (PPT – forthcoming)
Transportation issues were integral to the civil rights movement, and today, equity in transportation policy continues to be a pressing civil and human rights issue. At a time of high unemployment and income inequality, transportation policy has the potential to expand economic opportunity for low-income Americans. Complete streets efforts specifically can provide underrepresented workers with greater—and safer—access and mobility. As policymakers discuss important issues such as how to prioritize investments in public transportation and infrastructure, these conversations should include the needs of communities of color, low-income people, seniors, people with disabilities, and other stakeholders. This panel will frame the role of complete streets in making cities just and will identify opportunities to do so, by involving communities that often are not included in transportation policy
Moderator: Tim Higgins – Associate Director, UCLA cityLAB