Beyond Tough Conversations: Operationalizing Transportation Equity

Prior to May 2020, Minneapolis Public Works was working internally to advance policy and integrate equity into its Transportation Action Plan. With the murder of George Floyd, these staff-level conversations were launched forward and outward, and the City committed to creating a Racial Equity Framework for Transportation (REF).

With support from the American Cities Climate Challenge, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., the NRDC, and iterative community input, the City created a framework to advance racial equity goals within its transportation work. The REF includes 24 strategies and 64 actions and a new approach to geography-based equity citywide. It offers a replicable process for planning, designing, building, and maintaining racial equity at the forefront of transportation plans, programs, and initiatives.

Through a facilitated panel discussion, project partners will describe the foundational elements and critical infrastructure for developing the REF. Following participant Q&A, collaborative breakout sessions will focus on: Operationalizing equity (building the framework); measuring equity (data tools/scoring); and working with community (iterating/engaging). In this collaborative session, you will apply Minneapolis’ framework, tools, and lessons learned to the unique challenges of your work and practice so you can return home with a plan for how to advance racial equity.

Access this session with closed captions (Wordly)