Speakers urge equity-centered resiliency in active-transportation projects

Trinity Smith, climate change policy specialist with the California Department of Public Health, said resilience is a community’s capacity to survive and recover from shocks and stressed that social infrastructure — libraries, community centers and local networks — is as important as physical infrastructure.

“Resiliency is determined, of course, by a community's access to resources and built infrastructure, as well as decision making power,” Smith said, noting that social cohesion enables faster recovery from disasters and supports everyday well‑being.

Smith tied those resilience concepts to longstanding inequities. Using Richmond and Beverly Hills as contrasts, she said historic siting of industry and disinvestment have contributed to differences in life expectancy and increased climate vulnerability. She said climate change exacerbates those inequities by increasing heat exposure, wildfire smoke and flooding risks in communities already harmed by disinvestment.

For practitioners applying to the Active Transportation Program (ATP), Smith laid out six opportunities to build community and climate resiliency: document and acknowledge historical context; identify communities most impacted by climate stressors and select targeted design features; gather qualitative data through meaningful community partnerships; use democratic and transparent decisionmaking; coordinate across government to avoid duplicative or harmful investments; and incorporate design features that bolster social cohesion (for example, art, place‑making, and linear parks).

Why it matters: Smith emphasized that projects that combine infrastructure, transparent processes and community power are more likely to both reduce inequities and withstand climate stressors. She noted that ATP already requires community engagement but warned that meaningful power‑shifting is difficult for government and is essential to building true resiliency.

What she did not claim: Smith described principles and opportunities for applicants; she did not announce regulatory changes or binding requirements during the plenary.