DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

“Our approach is, ‘how do you help people take back their power?’” said Cecilia V. Estolano, who leads the Los Angeles-based Estolano Advisors. 

“How do you help communities to become places where they can actualize all their abilities? Diversity as a perspective makes our profession better.” 

When it comes to sustainability, Estolano emphasized that firms owned by people of color can frame issues of climate justice, pollution, the clean energy transition, and water quality in terms that reflect the direct experience of the communities that have been most impacted.

“We had our neighborhoods bulldozed to build freeways that caused more air pollution that seared our lungs,” she added. 

“We understand what it means to live within the evacuation zone of an oil refinery and can appreciate what clean cars and renewable energy can mean for our kids and their kids.”

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

To generate incremental, sustainable development, Cecilia V. Estolano, who leads the Los Angeles-based Estolano Advisors, said cities often have to overcome cynicism and mistrust in working class communities of color — because those communities have been misled, disappointed and underestimated in past failed planning processes.

“We work closely with communities on changing the things that result from poor planning and poor policy,” she added. 

Estolano’s firm is currently leading the planning process for the future of a state-owned site in LA’s Crenshaw district that’s been shuttered for more than a decade. 

Served by light rail, it could be redeveloped with housing, job training and other community services.

 

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Cecilia V. Estolano has been working on redevelopment and economic development issues for over three decades. 

Her experience leading the Los Angeles-based Estolano Advisors has made her skeptical of strategies that call for luring large firms into a community with big subsidies and tax breaks without asking much in return.

Estolano said most consistent growth comes from home-grown small businesses. 

“This is how we build wealth in this country, particularly when so many folks are locked out of home ownership in high cost cities,” she added.

“We need to invest in infrastructure because it is the foundation for our quality of life and for business growth. 

And we have to work directly with businesses to design workforce training programs tailored to their needs, but only if they can deliver jobs and careers that pay enough to support a family.”

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

The resulting COTA plan didn’t simply look at sourcing environmentally friendly materials as part of the transit authority’s resilience effort.

It also charted ways of sustaining economic justice by ensuring small, diverse businesses could become contractors for the transit agency, balancing social impact with economic growth. 

“Our only shareholders are the community,” said Charnelle Hicks, who serves as principal at Philadelphia-based CHPlanning.

“[If the plan lacks an element of diversity, we need] to ask the question:

‘So you’re good with not including this consideration for the community?’” 

 

 

 

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

“Whether the community is Amish or Muslim, unique perspectives exist,” said Charnelle Hicks, who serves as principal at Philadelphia-based CHPlanning.

“You must think about [questions like,] ‘What are the things they care about?,’ and ask, ‘What are their priorities?’

At some point, we all will have disabilities. So we must design for accessibility.”

Hicks cited a plan for the Central Ohio Transit Authority that looked at sustainability not just in terms of the environment, but also in terms of how the transit system of greater Columbus, Ohio could be more inclusive.

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Experts such as Charnelle Hicks note that minority communities help foot the bill for public projects — even though hiring minority-led firms is the exception to rule. And that imbalance leads to unfair outcomes for travelers on the ground.

“In the public sector, taxes are paid by everyone – so you would think the plan would be for everyone, but we all know it doesn’t always turn out that way,” said Hicks, who serves as principal at Philadelphia-based CHPlanning.

If different people with different backgrounds are not considered from the beginning of the planning process, Hicks argues that projects will fail. 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Minority industry leaders, though, emphasize that their community does bring unique value and results — no matter what Washington says. 

“It is not that large firms cannot do good work, because they often do,” said Charles Brown, who is the Founder & CEO of the urban planning, public policy and research firm, Horizon 54.

“It is that perspective matters. Diverse firms do not just bring different faces to the table.

We often bring different questions, experiences, and ways of understanding the people affected by the work.” 

“Why? Because we believe those closest to the problem are closest to the solution,” Brown continued.  

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

“Diverse firms often bring lived experiences, deep community relationship, and unique ways of seeing a problem,” said Charles Brown, who is the Founder & CEO of the urban planning, public policy and research firm, Horizon 54, formerly called Equitable Cities. “Often, that leads us to ask questions or identify impacts that others may overlook.” 

Still, Brown and the other experts we interviewed for this story acknowledged that minority-owned firms face uniquely steep barriers today. 

Affirmative action programs were a required part of federal contracting for a half century, but President Trump signed an executive order revoking it as one of his first acts in office.

The Trump administration also has banned federal contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients from operating diversity, equity and inclusion programs of their own. 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Look at the worst, most barrier-choked places for wheelchair users in your community, and you’ll likely find that they have something in common: they were all planned by 100-percent able-bodied teams, who don’t understand the real needs of people with mobility challenges. 

It’s not just about the disability realm. 

Planning history is littered with top-down, failed projects, where the majority imposed what it thought was best for the minority. 

And even if that majority was well-meaning, they got it wrong. 

That’s why experts like Charles T. Brown argue that planning teams must be led by firms that understand the unique and nuanced requirements of placemaking for all — or at least include key sub-consultants on their teams. 

And in an era when the very concepts of “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” are under fire in Washington and beyond, they say diverse hiring is even more important.

 

 

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

“When you visit the street where Mike Brown was killed [in Ferguson, Missouri, or] when you visit the intersection where George Floyd was killed [in Minneapolis] – the places where their blood spilled out — it is very clear there is no process, tool, or policy that deals with the need to heal the land,” said Dr. Destiny Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles-based Thrivance Group,

Despite the current political climate, Charles Brown, who is the Founder & CEO of the urban planning, public policy and research firm, Horizon 54, emphasizes that his minority-owned firm is growing — and others can too. 

Because even if the rules change, his clients recognize the benefits of both his expertise and his lived experience. 

“There is a big difference between being on the team and having influence over the work,” said Brown, an award-winning transportation professional. “Too often, the minority firm is one of eight or nine subs, has a small scope, and has little say over the budget, methodology, or final recommendations. 

“Diversity at the bottom of the organizational chart is not the same as diversity in decision-making,” Brown continued.

 “Giving qualified, diverse firms opportunities to lead means they help shape the project from the beginning rather than simply being brought in to check a box.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

As Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles-based Thrivance Group, Dr. Destiny Thomas says equitable planning is about actions — not just words.

Even when reports are couched in diverse language, she questions whether conventional planning is truly addressing the desires and needs of diverse people and communities.

“When I think about what sets so-called minority [firms] apart from others, I think about the process,” she added. “I think about opening the process, so diverse opinions are not just gathered but are a part of the plan and policy.” 

Thomas has developed what she calls “The Geography of Memory” framework, which examines how collective trauma becomes embedded in physical places and continues to shape mobility, public trust, redevelopment outcomes, and community interaction with the built environment. 

The framework encourages agencies to map the location of police violence, highways that displaced neighborhoods, forced housing relocation, and neglected public infrastructure, among other public sites of trauma.

She said when those areas are plotted and acknowledged, cities avoid “making investments that unintentionally reinforce harm.” 

Moreover, recognizing sites with negative history in a marginalized neighborhoods can help communities to move forward while shaping local trust in mobility, redevelopment and infrastructure projects.

 

 

 

DIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IS UNDER ATTACK — BUT THESE EXPERTS SAY IT’S MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER

MINORITY-OWNED PLANNING FIRMS ARE AS ESSENTIAL AS THEY EVER WERE, THESE FOUR TOP EXPERTS ARGUE — NO MATTER WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS

The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act introduced this April would enshrine that order into law, among other provisions to “stop federal agencies from violating the Constitution by awarding contracts based on recipients’ race or sex,” co-sponsor Sen. Glen Grothman (R – Wisc.) 

And several states are already undoing longstanding race- and gender-based set asides and requirements, even though the bill has yet to pass.

THIS BLOG HAS HAD MORE THAN 800,000 UNIQUE VISITS

SINCE IT WAS LAUNCHED MORE THAN A DECADE AGO

The vast majority of my posts have to do with Universal Design and creating a better built environment for people with disabilities.

Posts have touched on planning, urban design, transportation engineering, landscape architecture, economic development, sustainability and related issues.

I have tackled public policy and held politicians’ feet to the fire.

I have shared more than 4,000 images that I have taken on work on five continents.

The cumulative word count of my posts would fill 11 300-page books.

Here's to more travel photos, human-centered advocacy and plain language interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and more.

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 28

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

RESOURCES

National Main Street Center https://www.mainstreet.org/howwecanhelp/resourcecenter/covid19resources

Ball and Chain https://ballandchainmiami.com

Oakland BID https://onlyinoakland.org/supportoakland

Salud Juicery Oakland http://www.saludjuicery.com/oakland

Strong Towns https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/3/30/building-strong-local-economies-without-cheesecake-factory?rq=cheesecake%20factory

Crystal City BID https://www.crystalcity.org/covid-19

Gibbs Planning Group https://gibbsplanning.com

Central Square BID https://centralsq.org/blog/regional-impact-study-relief-measures

Off Their Place https://offtheirplate.org/

International Downtown Association https://downtown.org/covid-19

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 27

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

Crozier cited Brookings Institution data that found more than a quarter of small businesses are at risk of immediate shutdown and over half are vulnerable to severe disruption or shutdown.

The data showed women entrepreneurs and small business owners of color are particularly at risk.

“This crisis shows us exactly how much we value our local, independent Main Street businesses,” she said. 

“Without added and expansive federal action to preserve our small business economy, Main Street will wither, and Wall Street will seize an even greater share of our economy.

We run the real risk of corporate consolidation and monopolies being the only ones able to survive a prolonged crisis. 

If we want to support the small businesses that invest in their local communities, and provide good jobs, rather than extract from them we need to protect the backbone of our economy."

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 26

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

“Small businesses have long been the backbone of our national economy and of Cherry Creek North,” said Nick LeMasters, CCN BID president and CEO.  

“With the largest concentration of independent business in the intermountain west, Cherry Creek North has long-served as an example of a unique, diverse and highly-personalized neighborhood experience.  

It is our highest priority to ensure that our community retains relevancy in this ever-changing market so when the time comes to welcome back those that visit, work and play in Cherry Creek North, we can do so as a strong and resilient neighborhood.”

Sarah Crozier, Senior Communications Manager at the Main Street Alliance, said Congress must create a policy response that is on par with the severity, scope and potential duration of the financial crisis that small businesses and their employees are facing.

“The current small business relief programs are too complex and underfunded. They are not delivering urgently needed aid fast enough,” she said.

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 25

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

The Cherry Creek North BID, the first BID created in the state of Colorado, represents a neighborhood five minutes north of downtown Denver that touts the largest and most diverse shopping space between Chicago and San Francisco.  

Out of the 260 retail and service businesses in CCN, 70 percent -- just more than 175 -- are small retail businesses.

“It is imperative that we provide accurate information about available grant and loan programs to our constituents. We have created a Slack portal and opened it to the entire business community,” said Jenny Starkey, Senior Director of Marketing & Community Relations for CCN BID.

The BID invited critical resource providers to the virtual platform to ensure businesses have direct communication with representatives from the Mayor’s office, City Council, the Denver Metro Economic Development Office, Denver Chamber, Cherry Creek Chamber, Small Business Administration and Denver Police.

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 24

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

Smith said small, locally-owned businesses are finding very innovative ways to keep moving forward:

·        

      A hair salon in Alexandria, Virginia is delivering a small bottle of customer’ hair coloring solution, plus some shampoo and conditioner, to their homes, then following up with Zoom meetings to walk them through the process of touching up their roots.

·        A bar in San Antonio is offering drive-through cocktails and bottled beer and wine. With a $30 purchase, customers get a free hot dog from the hot dog stand next door and a free bottle of Stella Artois.

·        A personal chef and caterer in Metuchen, New Jersey now makes family-style meals serving four to six people and, when delivering them, offers to deliver products from other downtown businesses as well.

·        A professional photographer in Cincinnati is donating her services to other small businesses to take photos of their merchandise for their websites.

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 23

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

“It is vital is to level the playing field between small, locally owned businesses and big box stores. Main Street businesses are largely shuttered now and are conducting business in new and innovative ways to minimize person-to-person contact and to keep everyone safe,” Kennedy Smith said.

“But, because they sell groceries and pharmaceuticals, big box stores have continued to let people in -- and to let them in to all their departments. 

While Main Street bookstores, toy shops and clothing stores are scrambling to find innovative ways to continue serving their customers and to bring in revenue – big box stores freely let customers wander around and pick up electronics, clothing, books, toys, tires, housewares…while also buying groceries.”

COMMERCE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS -- Part 22

Main Streets, Business Improvement Districts and Downtowns Lead the Way

“This means that you need to make restaurant take-out more than a commodity.  

It needs to offer an emotional reprieve from the isolation we're all experiencing,” he said.   Can you bring the meal to their car curbside in a unique way?  

Guests are looking for a human connection and a reason to smile.  You can do that while still delivering a predictable and consistent experience.”

Kennedy Smith is a Senior Researcher with the Independent Business Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a non-profit that champions the need for humanly-scaled institutions and economies. 

She said Congress, state and local governments, foundations, civic institutions, crowdfunders and customers must get cash to small, locally owned businesses to keep them afloat – because most have less than a month of cash reserves on hand.