Inclusive transportation A manifesto for repairing divided communities

Davis, a civil engineer, planner, and community activist, offers both a self-proclaimed manifesto and a practical guide to creating more inclusive forms of mobility. Her goal is public and private transportation networks that provide diverse people in different places with a variety of safe and affordable choices. Davis wants transportation options to be fair and equitable and not biased toward private automobiles. This does not mean wholly abandoning automobility but rather expanding the alternatives available for moving people to and from places that enable them to lead healthy and prosperous lives. To achieve this, she argues that transportation planning itself must be inclusionary. It must establish a vision for the future and encourage public engagement that focuses on the self-defined needs of people affected by bike-sharing, sidewalk design, highway expansion, and other transportation initiatives. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences and advice she has gathered throughout her career, Davis calls for public planning to increase diversity, understand the opposition, practice empathy, and support bold leadership. Casually written, this is an enthusiastic and idealistic introduction to the participatory politics of planning meant to elevate consciousness and encourage action. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, lower-division undergraduates, and two-year students. --Robert A. Beauregard, emeritus, Columbia University