Name: Roadways for People, Part 1
Author: Lynn Peterson

Using Portland's I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project as a central case study, Lynn Peterson and co-instructor Elizabeth Doerr explore why and how we need a more inclusive, people-centered transportation planning process.

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Course Info

8 video lessons (79 Mins)
Published
4.27

Preview Course

Browse Course Chapters

1.

Introduction

5 mins
2.

Rose Quarter Improvement Project

4 mins
3.

Racist History of Planning

15 mins
4.

Reflecting on Your Own Context

5 mins
5.

Current Day Rose Quarter

16 mins
6.

Reflection: Your Own Project

4 mins
7.

Community Solutions-Based Approach

25 mins
8.

Conclusion: Why Roadways for People

1 min

What You Will Learn

Understand the context and history of Portland’s Rose Quarter.
Identify what went wrong with the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.
Compare how the example from Portland might apply to your own community/projects.
Understand “White supremacy culture” and what that means in the context of local and regional government.
Assess how projects you have worked on apply to the concepts. Create a scenario where CSBA applies to your work.

Course Description

The first section of this two-part course will focus on why we need a more inclusive planning process. In order to understand this, we'll look at the history of racist transportation design and urban planning practices—both intentional and unintentional—that have shaped our cities today from redlining to "urban renewal" and gentrification. Then we'll discuss why this history is still relevant in the way we approach our work and why we need to consider it in all future projects.

The course will focus specifically on the example of Portland Oregon’s I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project that is currently in the planning process. The neighborhood where the project is taking place is one of Portland's historically Black neighborhoods and serves as an example of the past harms the planning and transportation industry has caused historically marginalized communities, particularly communities of color across the United States.

The course will also propose solutions for restoring and reconnecting historically Black neighborhoods destroyed during urban renewal, introducing a community solutions-based approach as a tool for planners and engineers to take a more inclusive approach to their work.

This course also introduces the important elements to be considered for an inclusive process: understanding the racist legacy of transportation planning, collaboration between transportation professionals, and community engagement.