Civic Technologies for Equitable Transportation Planning

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Learn about different factors that affect the physical activity level of underrepresented populations in urban neighborhoods.
• Identify opportunities and challenges for using digital technologies to create platforms for equitable public engagement in active-transportation planning projects.
• Develop innovative frameworks to facilitate accessibility of underrepresented populations.

MORE SESSION DETAILS

This session will engage professional and academic participants around the emerging issues of greenways development in urbanized areas and explore the effectiveness of an inclusive public-engagement process in active-transportation planning practices. First, the session will provide a few case studies emphasizing key learning objectives of the session. It then breaks down into small-group discussions utilizing the World Café Discussion Model. The results of these small-group discussions will serve as a catalyst for a broader discussion on strategic opportunities to more fully engage the knowledge, skills, and values of urban planners to encourage equitable public engagement in active-transportation planning practices. The discussion will focus on two challenges. The first involves barriers and opportunities as they relate to active-transportation planning practices in urbanized areas where underrepresented population (religious minorities, elderly people) reside. The second involves promoting public engagement for the LEP (Limited English Proficiency) population and religious minorities. The small-group discussions will be used, with facilitators actively engaged to focus discussions, to move the group toward identifying several discrete, strategic priorities. This session will contribute to the APA’s Plan4Health Initiative by discussing strategies for promoting public health through equitable transportation planning.