Streets for Everyone

For decades, Americans have been infatuated with the perception of freedom that the car can offer. After World War II, this infatuation, paired with concerns about city congestion and desires for ​“urban renewal,” inspired the creation of laws and policies that left lasting, sometimes devastating, marks on the physical and social landscapes of the nation. In many cases, highway construction drove development away from downtowns; ​“white flight” to the suburban periphery encouraged employers to move jobs from city centers; public transit lost significant investment; and many streets became lasting barriers that divided communities instead of connecting them.

Since streets both reflect and shape the communities they serve, they have become incredibly meaningful places for people working to create more equitable cities and communities. All members of the community should be visibly engaging and participating in the activities on Main Street, regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, income, race, ability, national origin, family composition, or mode of transportation. Main Street leaders have an important role to play in ensuring their communities are inclusive, in fostering a culture of equal opportunity, and in protecting their most vulnerable community members.

Car-oriented streets unevenly impact specific groups and demographic categories:

• People who do not have access to cars
• Children and older adults
• Women
• The LGBTQ community
• Lower-income people
• People experiencing homelessness
• People of color
• People with disabilities
• People who do not speak English
• Families with children
• Pedestrians and cyclists

People-oriented streets provide benefits:

• Autonomy
• Social mobility
• Sense of Belonging
• Sense of ownership and stewardship
• Equal access to all the benefits of Main Street

Resources

Articles and Publications:

• American Association of People with Disabilities Advocacy and Transportation
  Equity in Transportation for People with Disabilities
• American Planning Association Equity Policy Guide
  Great Places With an Eye for Equity
  Planning for Equitable Development: Social Equity by Design
• America Walks — Sexism on the Sidewalk: How Poor Street Design Keeps Women from Walking
• Anzilotti, Eillie (Fast Company) — No Street is Complete Without Taking Equity Into Account
• The Arc — Transportation Issues for People with Disabilities
• Budds, Diana (Fast Company) — How Urban Design Perpetuates Racial Inequality and What We Can Do About It
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Promoting Health Equity: A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health
• Center for Disability Rights — Advocacy
• ChangeLab Solutions A Guide to Building Healthy Streets
  Tools for Change
• City of Denver — Vision Zero Action Plan
• Cox, Stefani and Brown, Charles (Better Bike Share Partnership) — Silent Barriers to Bicycling, Part I: Exploring Black and Latino Bicycling Experiences
• Greenfield, John (Streetsblog Chicago) — Study: Concerns About Profiling Are a Barrier to Biking in Communities of Color
• Haskins, Julia (The Nation’s Health) — Complete Streets Promoting Health Equity in Communities: Supporting Transportation for all Users
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety General Statistics — Fatality Facts 2017 Gender
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Pedestrian Safety
• Main Street America
  • Building Community Through Street Fairs: Planning Outline
  • Building Inclusive Communities on Main Street
  • Healthy Places How Designing for Health and Wellbeing 
  • Supports Community Prosperity
• Partnership for Active Transportation — Human-Centered Mobility Principles
• PolicyLink — Equity Manifesto
• Project for Public Spaces
  • The Ethics of Building Great Communities
  • Equitable Placemaking: Not the End, but the Means
  • Equity and Inclusion: Getting Down to the Heart of Placemaking
  • Planning for People Not Cars: Why Accessibility Matters for All
• Smart Growth America
  • Complete Streets Factsheet on Equitable Streets
  • Complete Streets Mean Equitable Streets
  • Dangerous by Design (2016)
  • Dangerous by Design (2019)
• Transit Center
  • Family + Transit
  • Inclusive Transit
  • Who’s on Board 2016: What Today’s Riders Teach Us About Transit That Works
• Transport Policy Matters — Economic Benefits of Improved Transport Accessibility
• Untokening — 10 Principles of Mobility Justice
• Victoria Transportation Institute — Evaluating Transportation Equity: Guidance for Incorporating Distributional Impacts in Transportation Planning
• World Health Organization — Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018
• Zaccaro, Heather (Smart Growth America) — Announcing a New Resource on Health Equity and Complete Streets
  
  

Organizations:

• All-In Cities Anti-Displacement Policy Network
• The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights
• National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
• National Center on Disability and Journalism
• National Organization on Disability
  Prevention Institute
• Stop Street Harassment
  
  

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