Abstract
Top-down transportation planning practices have historically ignored the needs and concerns of low-income communities of color, which can lead to residential and commercial displacement as public investments increase land values and rents. The concept of mobility justice centers the needs of communities that have historically been excluded from transportation planning decisions. We partnered with community groups to examine two transportation planning projects in the Bay Area using collaborative research methods. The first was a retrospective analysis of the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit project in East Oakland that reflects the harms of top-down planning. The second study examined the City of Richmond’s Transformative Climate Communities projects, a more collaborative approach to planning with low-income communities involved at every stage. The top-down planning model employed in the East Oakland case study resulted in significant health, safety, and displacement impacts that could have been avoided. The Richmond case study shows project changes occurring as a direct result of using mobility justice principles.
