COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS

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MEANINGFUL INPUT FROM MARGINALIZED PEOPLE

“If that doesn’t happen, it leads to the distrust, perceived disrespect and the lack of empathy that exists between [the] community and planners who are in it just for the sake of the project — as opposed to centering the importance of people’s voices in these processes,”

said Charles Brown, who serves on the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Brown encourages planning firms to be reflective of the diverse communities they serve.

“I don’t know what the percentage of black and brown planners is, but it’s certainly very low.

So, part of the solution is hiring people of color and putting them in project management roles,” he said of fundamental changes for inclusion that go beyond techniques and toolkits.