The University of Westminster has collaborated with the Women in Planning network for a panel event on inclusive transport. The event prompted discussions on how the transport planning industry can overcome barriers to travel faced by a variety of groups including women, disabled and neurodivergent people, the LGBTQ+ community and older people.
Westminster hosted the event on 27 March in collaboration with Women in Planning, an independent network which aims to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive planning industry, to explore how transport planners can help tackle barriers to travel faced by a wide range of people.
The event featured an expert panel discussion chaired by Lauren Stoves, Senior Planner at Lambert Smith Hampton and Vice Chair of the London Women in Planning Committee, to explore how design and planning interventions can help improve accessibility. Panellists featured Westminster academics Professor Pippa Catterall, Professor in History and Policy, and Professor Rachel Aldred, Professor of Transport and Director of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy, alongside Mei-Yee Man Oram, Access and Inclusive Environments Lead at multi-national built environment firm Arup.
Professor Catterall worked alongside Arup last year to produce a report on Queer Perspectives on Public Space as part of the Queering Public Space project, while the Active Travel Academy regularly produces research focusing on inclusivity in travel, including past and present projects on Queering Active Travel and the cycling experiences of women of colour.
About the event Professor Catterall said: “As was highlighted by all the speakers, inclusion should be a central consideration in any planning process, so as to make the outcomes both accessible and appropriate for all. This event identified multiple ways in which this can be achieved, and it was great to have attendees from Transport for London and local authorities taking this on board.”
This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: Gender Equality, 10: Reduced Inequalities, 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Transport and Logistics courses at the University of Westminster.
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