Inclusive Transportation
A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities
176 pages
6 x 9
20 photos
176 pages
6 x 9
20 photos
Transportation planners, engineers, and policymakers in the US face the monumental task of righting the wrongs of their predecessors while charting the course for the next generation. This task requires empathy while pushing against forces in the industry that are resistant to change. How do you change a system that was never designed to be equitable? How do you change a system that continues to divide communities and cede to the automobile?
In Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, transportation expert Veronica O. Davis shines a light on the inequitable and often destructive practice of transportation planning and engineering. She calls for new thinking and more diverse leadership to create transportation networks that connect people to jobs, education, opportunities, and to each other.
Inclusive Transportation is a vision for change and a new era of transportation planning. Davis explains why centering people in transportation decisions requires a great shift in how transportation planners and engineers are trained, how they communicate, the kind of data they collect, and how they work as professional teams. She examines what “equity” means for a transportation project, which is central to changing how we approach and solve problems to create something safer, better, and more useful for all people.
Davis aims to disrupt the status quo of the transportation industry. She urges transportation professionals to reflect on past injustices and elevate current practice to do the hard work that results in more than an idea and a catchphrase.
Inclusive Transportation is a call to action and a practical approach to reconnecting and shaping communities based on principles of justice and equity.
"With decades of experience as an engineer and planner, Davis understands the transportation industry. Proficient in both the technical and public engagement aspects of the planning process, she shares valuable lessons learned, poses questions for consideration within projects and plans, and provides recommendations for making systemic changes to the industry….As a call to action, this book would benefit decision-makers and planning and engineering practitioners who are frustrated with and interested in addressing the harms caused by the status quo of the transportation planning process."
Journal of Urban Affairs
"A call to action and a practical approach to reconnecting and shaping communities based on principles of justice and equity. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Inclusive Transportation is a seminal and ground-breaking contribution to planning for American 21st century transportation needs and will be of special and particular value to readers with an interest in mass transit and urban planning."
Midwest Book Review
"Casually written, this is an enthusiastic and idealistic introduction to the participatory politics of planning meant to elevate consciousness and encourage action."
Choice
"In the US, our transportation system is at the root of some of our biggest inequities. Ever wonder why some neighborhoods get all the pollution, have the most dangerous, high-speed streets, and the longest travel times to job centers and daily needs? Veronica O. Davis breaks it down for you and shares her transportation project battle scars. Read this book if you’re a current or aspiring practitioner who works in any field that touches on public investment decisions, AND if you are a neighborhood advocate – you’ll learn where and how to push for change."
Harriet Tregoning, former Planning Director of Washington DC and Director of the New Urban Mobility alliance (NUMO)
"This book joins the chorus of the many Black professionals who have been asking their peers to engage in new ways of thinking, listening, and governing. Most important, it does so by offering concrete advice that planners and allied professionals can take to assess their own privilege, interrogate power, and actively shift those dynamics in their work. I hope those leaders, as well as scholars, students, and anyone interested in justice, read this manifesto for repairing divided communities. I feel changed by reading Veronica’s book. I hope you feel the same. Open the book, get started on, or continue, your justice journey, and when you finish, make a commitment to do more than just talk about equity."
tamika l. butler, esq., Principal + Founder of tamika l. butler Consulting
Foreword by tamika l. butler
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Transportation is Personal
Chapter 2: Equity is more than a Baseball Graphic
Chapter 3: Should there be a War on Cars?
Chapter 4: Power, Influence, and the Complexity of People
Chapter 5: Bringing People and Planning Together
Chapter 6: The Task Ahead: Where the Hard Work Continues
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
The United States is a diverse nation: however, the people responsible for creating our country’s transportation infrastructure have nearly always been White men. How can we confront this history of inequitable transportation and ensure that everyone in America is able to access transit systems and bike lanes?
As a way to reclaim space on streets traditionally dominated by cars, cyclists of cohesive identities are coming together to ride as one. Many of these groups are grassroots organizations, connecting through word of mouth and social media. Cycling groups allow individuals to build bonds with friends, neighbors, and strangers as they ride together and show that streets don’t only belong to cars.
In this webinar, transit professionals will discuss how our transportation systems are inherently inequitable and what steps we can take to change this reality. Leading the conversation will be Veronica Davis as she introduces her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities. Veronica co-founded Black Women Bike, an organization and movement which builds a community and interest in biking among black women through education, advocacy, and recreation.
Panel
Veronica Davis, Director of Transportation & Drainage Operations for Houston, Texas
Olatunji Oboi Reed, Chairman & CEO, Equiticity Ventures
Michel Courval, Sales Representative, iGo Electric
Moderator Tamika Butler is a doctoral student in Urban Planning at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.
For more information, check out this article: Black rides matter: Diverse cycling groups show that biking is for everyone.
Transportation planning has often had destructive consequences for underserved communities. Veronica Davis wants to shed light on those inequalities. In her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, Veronica lays out her vision to bring about a new era of transportation planning.
During this webinar, Veronica will explain why centering people in transportation decisions requires a great shift in how transit planners and engineers are trained, how they community, the types of data they collect, and how they work as professional teams. She’ll define what “equity” means for a transportation project and how it can create something safer, better, and more useful for all people.
Veronica will conclude with a call to action to transit planners and engineers to reconnect with and help shape communities based on principles of justice and equity.
How do you change a system that was never designed to be equitable? Join us on Monday, October 16 at 12:00 pm EDT with Veronica O. Davis for a virtual talk on her book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities.
In Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, transportation expert Veronica O. Davis shines a light on the inequitable and often destructive practice of transportation planning and engineering. She calls for new thinking and more diverse leadership to create transportation networks that connect people to jobs, education, opportunities, and to each other.
In June 2023, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, declared “in each of America’s most influential cities and states, policymakers developed a strategic plan to make transportation accessible for all and they executed it. We must expand transportation options across our state to ensure all Marylanders can get from where they live to where opportunity lies no matter their background, zip code, or income.”
How are accessible transportation plans created and successfully executed? They start by serving people over cars and disrupting the status quo of the transportation industry. They look at the past injustice that transit projects created while elevating current practices to do the hard work involved in making safer and more useful systems. Veronica Davis, author of Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, and Lynn Peterson, author of Roadways for People: Rethinking Transportation Planning and Engineering, will share their decades of collective transportation experience in this webinar. Learn about the speakers’ proposed solutions for more equitable and people-centered transit systems.
Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities shines a light on the inequitable and often destructive practices of transportation planning and engineering. Davis' book calls for new thinking and more diverse leadership to create transportation networks that connect people to jobs, education, opportunities, and to each other. Join 2023 WTS International's Rosa Parks Diversity Award recipient Veronica O. Davis, PE as she discusses her career and newest publication.
$35 | WTS Members
$95 | Non-members
$15 | Students
These sessions are eligible for CM credits from APA.
The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals is excited to announce the inaugural APBP Safety Summit, a series of live education and professional development sessions that are focused on the many facets of safety in the active transportation field. Make plans to join us this October! The purpose of the APBP Safety Summit is to advance best practices to stem the tide of rising traffic fatalities, especially among the most vulnerable road users, and ensure the most effective use of unprecedented levels of safety funding.
The 2023 Safety Summit will be held virtually and will feature 12 sessions and several keynote speakers (with AICP credits) ranging from 1-2 hours each, and spread out over 6 days in October. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only.
Veronica Davis, author of Inclusive Transportation, will be a keynote speaker.
Registration for the Safety Summit includes ALL live sessions (October 3-5 and 10-12, 2023), plus access to the full recordings through December 31, 2023. Registration rates listed are in USD.
Regular Registration: $199 Member* / $299 Non-member
Speaker Registration: $159 Member* / $239 Non-Member
Student Registration: $99 Member / $149 Non-Member
*APBP Member types: Professional, Advocate, Young Professional, Retired
Transportation planning has often had destructive consequences for underserved communities. Veronica Davis wants to shed light on those inequalities. In her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, Veronica lays out her vision to bring about a new era of transportation planning.
During this webinar, Veronica will explain why centering people in transportation decisions requires a great shift in how transit planners and engineers are trained, how they communicate, the types of data they collect, and how they work as professional teams. She’ll define what “equity” means for a transportation project and how it can create something safer, better, and more useful for all people.
Veronica will conclude with a call to action for transit planners and engineers to reconnect with and help shape communities based on principles of justice and equity.
Join us for the inaugural ULI Healthy Places Book Talk! Our new Book Talks series represents the next chapter of the Building Healthy Places Book + Film Club. Launched in the spring of 2020, BHP Book + Film Club brought people together for meaningful discussions during times of social separation.
The first Book Talk will shine a spotlight on Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities by Veronica Davis. In this groundbreaking work, Davis fearlessly confronts the significant challenges that transportation and land use professionals face today. She delves into the inherent inequities of our transportation systems, which only serve to exacerbate disparities across communities in the U.S. Davis emphasizes the importance of empathy and determination in reshaping a transportation system that, for too long, has favored automobiles and divided communities.
Inclusive Transportation is not just a call to action; it's a practical guide for those eager to champion justice and equity in community development through transportation. Davis advocates for a transformative approach that spotlights the critical need for diverse leadership, updated training, improved communication, and enhanced data collection.
Join us for a powerful conversation with Veronica Davis, facilitated by Shonda Wang, that explores the path to a more equitable and just future in transportation and development.
Transportation planners, engineers, and policymakers in the US face the monumental task of righting the wrongs of their predecessors while charting the course for the next generation. This task requires empathy while pushing against forces in the industry that are resistant to change. How do you change a system that was never designed to be equitable? How do you change a system that continues to divide communities and cede to the automobile?
In Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, transportation expert Veronica O. Davis shines a light on the inequitable and often destructive practice of transportation planning and engineering. She calls for new thinking and more diverse leadership to create transportation networks that connect people to jobs, education, opportunities, and to each other.
Inclusive Transportation is a vision for change and a new era of transportation planning. Davis explains why centering people in transportation decisions requires a great shift in how transportation planners and engineers are trained, how they communicate, the kind of data they collect, and how they work as professional teams. She examines what “equity” means for a transportation project, which is central to changing how we approach and solve problems to create something safer, better, and more useful for all people.
Davis aims to disrupt the status quo of the transportation industry. She urges transportation professionals to reflect on past injustices and elevate current practice to do the hard work that results in more than an idea and a catchphrase.
Inclusive Transportation is a call to action and a practical approach to reconnecting and shaping communities based on principles of justice and equity.
Every year, transportation enthusiasts get together on the first Saturday in January to share their ideas and map out new possibilities. As cities across the country work to reconnect communities divided by harmful infrastructure, pedestrian fatalities continue to rise, and new technology presents opportunities and challenges for the future of transportation, TransportationCamp is as important as ever.
An annual “unconference,” TransportationCamp is a time for advocates, practitioners, business leaders, professionals, students, and anyone else who might call themselves a “transportation nerd” to gather, share their ideas and perspectives, and take stock of where we’re going and how we got here.
At TransportationCamp, attendees steer the conversation by submitting, voting on, and facilitating breakout sessions on topics of their choice. Whether you’re interested in methods to reduce transportation emissions, bridge divides, or make our streets safer for all, join TransportationCamp to be part of the conversation!
Join us on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at George Mason University’s Arlington campus (or on Zoom!) for another year of TransportationCamp DC.
General admission: $50
Student admission: $35 (use code 24STUDENT at checkout)
Virtual admission: $10
Keynote speaker, Veronica O. Davis, Director of Transportation at the City of Houston, author of Inclusive Transportation.
Transportation planning has often had destructive consequences for underserved communities. Veronica Davis wants to shed light on those inequalities. In her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, Veronica lays out her vision to bring about a new era of transportation planning.
During this webinar, Veronica will explain why centering people in transportation decisions requires a great shift in how transit planners and engineers are trained, how they community, the types of data they collect, and how they work as professional teams. She’ll define what “equity” means for a transportation project and how it can create something safer, better, and more useful for all people. Veronica will conclude with a call to action to transit planners and engineers to reconnect with and help shape communities based on principles of justice and equity.
Speaker: Veronica Davis, Director of Transportation & Drainage Operations, City of Houston
Moderator: Kirstin Hall, Senior Manager, Training & Professional Development
Host: The Eno Center for Transportation
Women Mobilize Women is excited to invite you to the first episode “Gender, Mobility, and Racial Identity: The American Diaspora” of our new webinar series with Mobycon!
The intersection of identities and experiences produces different perspectives of mobility for different people. As a result, a gender sensitive mobility transition is about more than one’s identified gender, impacted also by one’s age, ability, economic access, and geographic location, among a myriad other intersectionalities. In this webinar series, we will dive into topics that surround the intersectionality of gender and mobility over a series of 30 minute episodes featuring prominent voices in the mobility sector. Understanding these differences is an important step to creating an equitable and gender responsive mobility system, and through a series of discussions with global advocates, professionals, and leaders, we will explore these differences to expand not only our own perceptions, but those of the broader mobility sector.
Join Episode 1 "Gender, Mobility, and Racial Identity: The American Diaspora"!
Gender and mobility is not a binary experience. One’s race impacts their experience, and understanding the limitations and barriers is a key way to address concerns, find gender responsive solutions, and ultimately move forward a more equitable access to transport.
In this episode, host Melissa speaks with Tamika Butler, Founder + Principal at tamika l. butler consulting, and Veronica Davis, Engineer and Author of "Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities", discussing the experiences of the American diaspora and hopefully spark further global conversations. The webinar will focus on how, beyond gender, racial identity impacts ones experience of mobility, from issues such are increased fear and experiences of violence, persecution, and exclusion, to considerations around cost, access, comfort reporting incidents of (gender-based) violence.
Save the date and join us for this enriching 30-minute discussion on February 22nd.
Let's amplify diverse perspectives and foster inclusive conversations in the world of mobility
Public transportation is considered a social equalizer that provides access to jobs, education, resources, and culture. And, even well-intentioned transit plans can negatively impact underserved communities and deepen socioeconomic divides. Veronica Davis, author of Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, argues that the difference depends on how cities and transportation leaders conceptualize the problems and center people in planning the solutions.
In this virtual program, Davis will highlight inequities in transportation and discuss how refocusing priorities and training, reworking the data, and changing conceptions of equity can improve transit systems.
Transportation planning has often had destructive consequences for underserved communities.
Veronica Davis wants to shed light on those inequalities. In her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, Veronica lays out her vision to bring about a new era of transportation planning.
During this discussion, Veronica will explain why centering people in transportation decisions requires a great shift in how transit planners and engineers are trained, how they communicate, the types of data they collect, and how they work as professional teams. She’ll define what “equity” means for a transportation project and how it can create something safer, better, and more useful for all people.
Veronica will conclude with a call to action to transit planners and engineers to reconnect with and help shape communities based on principles of justice and equity.
This event is hosted by Build the Era (BTE). BTE is an education and advocacy organization focused on transportation and infrastructure as it relates to the Department of Transportation (DOT
With an introduction from Maryland’s Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, this webinar explores the many benefits of walking, from the individual health benefits to much broader public policy impacts that individual and collective decision making have on individual and community-wide health, quality of life, equity and connectivity.
Speakers will explore the inter-connected nature of these issues locally and nationally. Sarah Lock, Senior Vice President for Policy and Brain Health from AARP will explore walking’s health benefits, while Veronica Davis, author of Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, will focus on transportation equity and community health.
Read the foreword, preface, and part of chapter 5 below or download the excerpt here.