Many Canadian municipalities are establishing policies to confront inequities persisting from historical approaches to community and city planning. At the same time, governments are continuing to invest in building transportation systems that aim to be safer and more sustainable in the face of climate change and other mobility challenges. What can be learned from the evolution of equity policies in Canadian municipalities to date, and how can equity principles be applied on the ground to ensure that our road safety efforts benefit those who need them most?
This webinar will share early findings from an environmental scan of equity policies in Canada, and key insights from transportation professionals who are actively integrating equity into their planning and practice, including applications to road safety. This work is part of a broader research initiative—led by a team at Simon Fraser University and Level Up Planning—that is developing case studies of cities making progress on sustainable transportation equity. Following the webinar, participants will have the opportunity to delve into lessons learned from these case studies more deeply at an interactive workshop at the upcoming ITE Canada/CARSP conference, entitled “From Rhetoric to Reality: Promising Practices for Advancing Equity in Canadian Communities.”
This webinar will also provide an update on the ITE Canada/CARSP Conference 2023.
Register here for your tickets.
Tessa Williams is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP, MCIP) that seeks to bridge the worlds of academia and practice in order to build more sustainable, equitable communities. As a research assistant at Simon Fraser University and intern with LevelUp Planning Collaborative, she is contributing to research that aims to offer practical guidance for multisectoral professionals involved in planning, implementing or advocating for sustainable transportation , and grappling with how to successfully embed equity in this work. She developed cross-jurisdictional transportation knowledge during her time in NS, ON and BC, and welcomes opportunities to learn about communities from coast to coast to coast.
Victoria Barr, PhD is Principal at LevelUp Planning Collaborative Inc., a consulting firm that helps communities build health and equity into their policies and practices. She has 25 years of experience as a planner, advocate and researcher, including work developing equity policies with municipalities.
Mark Hearson is a Transportation Engineer with Stantec in the Winnipeg office. Mark brings over 10 years of experience, primarily from consulting to provincial and municipal clients across Canada while working in the private sector. He is a demonstrated leader, with an ability to account for a broad range of considerations in the areas of transportation engineering and planning, road safety, airport planning, investment strategy development, and asset management. Mark is an executive member of the Transportation Association of Canada Road Safety Committee and co-chair of the upcoming joint ITE Canada/CARSP conference in Winnipeg.
