As architects, planners and designers, we can use data-driven tools and analytics to create an equity-based approach to infrastructure. To be successful, this approach should include proactive development of policies, practices and strategic investments to reverse disparity trends based on race, gender, sexual orientation or income. In order to create and facilitate more equitable infrastructures and societies, cities must analyze when and how decisions are made and how these decisions impact the most vulnerable communities. Here, we share how policy, practice and investment can help reverse infrastructure inequality.

Acknowledge the structural bias and lack of social equity in the current systems

To achieve more equitable communities, we must first acknowledge the current and historical disparity in the distribution and access to infrastructure and services, which disproportionally effects certain populations. It is critical that the larger community recognize and buy in to the efforts needed to mitigate the disparity and improve equity for all. We must also set specific goals and adopt policies to set this in motion.

Develop and adopt an equity-based framework for key decision-making

Not only can we embed equity into infrastructure decisions and prioritizations, we can make those considerations and the decision process visible through an equity-based framework, or Equity Lens. By viewing development options through an Equity Lens, key decision makers can understand the equity implications of each action as well as resulting performance and cost. The Equity Lens can be applied to individual projects as well as broader programs which will allow capital planning budgets to fund projects which address equity issues and performance gaps.

Use data-driven tools to incorporate equity in infrastructure decisions

With the right data-driven tools, incorporating equity-based thinking in planning and programming projects can become an intuitive and straightforward part of the process. With automated tools to guide city engineers, planners and policy makers through an equity-based process for project and program development, we can help achieve important equity goals and outcomes. When these tools are aligned to existing workflows, are user-friendly, transparent and accessible, cities and agencies can make decisions that are not only cost effective and high-performing but can also help to reverse disparity.

Track progress over time

While we cannot solve decades of inequity overnight, we can make progress working together on small and large efforts, incrementally and persistently. By tracking progress through real quantifiable metrics, creating department and agency accountability with regular reporting requirements and review by City Councils and the public, we can propel meaningful change in our communities.

Empower the community

Communities need a real voice in this process and should participate not just through engagement and outreach for a plan, but also in setting specific equity outcome goals. A regular equity dialog between citizens, policymakers, and project engineers is essential. Discussions around education, awareness, and citizen advocacy can positively affect how equity considerations drive critical infrastructure decisions. If we can create a system for continued feedback and channel that into the evaluation framework, we can not only empower our communities but begin to create equity in our built environments.

Project Highlight:

Baltimore’s Equity-Based Project Prioritization Tool

In Baltimore, we are working with the Department of Public Works to prioritize capital investment for infrastructure projects. Which projects should move forward? Equity is the priority. By using this online tool developed by ArchTam, the Department of Public Works can view projects through an ‘Equity Lens’ which aggregates data such as percentage of disadvantaged and/or minority populations within the project area and enables the City to evaluate multiple locations. Each potential infrastructure project receives a scorecard for project performance, equity and combined performance and equity to help the City make the most equitable infrastructure investment choices.

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Earlier this year, ArchTam created and launched an interactive web-based tool called the Virtual Consultation Room, which enables our clients around the world to engage and consult interested stakeholders from their computer or mobile device, simulating the community meeting experience in a virtual environment. In addition to providing a safer environment for participation during the coronavirus pandemic, the Virtual Consultation Room creates a more flexible and inclusive approach to community engagement. This tool allows our clients to reach a wider audience — beyond those who might be able to attend traditional in-person meetings — including those with physical limitations.

In the past six months, our Virtual Consultation Room platform was visited more than one million times. We have had the pleasure of working with top clients across the globe with an outstanding, 100 percent customer satisfaction rating, including from clients such as the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy, Public Health England, the City of San Diego, Highways England, Roche, Georgia Department of Transportation, among others.

“The Virtual Room was simple and fast to deliver. It gave us an easy-to-implement solution to meet challenging and unforeseen circumstances. Yet at the same time there was the opportunity to flex the product so it better suited our needs. A big benefit for us was that it didn’t slow down the timing of the consultation, or our overall project programme. You were able to mobilise the product quickly and efficient in delivery.” – Melissa Williams, Senior Communications Manager, Highways England

Through the new platform, clients can curate a virtual stakeholder engagement event to show consultation materials including virtual reality and sound demonstrations, videos, maps, plans and pop-up banners, just as people would experience at an in-person engagement. There is also a chat function for on-hand experts to remotely answer questions as visitors view the materials, further simulating what would happen at an in-person event. The tool allows for instant feedback, so public comments can be captured and saved for analysis, and to ensure accurate reporting.

“I’m delighted to announce that Roche was the first company in Ireland to use innovative virtual consultation technology to share plans for the decommissioning of its Clarecastle site with the public. The technology, developed by ArchTam , enabled us to display a series of information boards about the project in a dynamic virtual room and undertake live chats with the public.” – Gerry Cahill, Roche Managing Director/ Site Head, Ireland

Prior to the global pandemic, digital tools were already featured heavily during ArchTam’s in-person community engagement events — including 360-degree Virtual Reality (VR), visualizations, sentiment mapping, sound demonstrations and interactive apps — so the logical next step was to bring them all together into one digital platform.

The adoption of digital tools and processes has differentiated ArchTam from its peers in the sector and helped us work faster, smarter and better, and our industry is benefiting from improvements in quality, cost and schedule. As clients and communities start experiencing the benefits — in terms of savings, collaboration, efficiencies, better environmental, social and governance outcomes, and more effective operation and maintenance — we’ll continue to bring to market new digital and innovation offerings that will reshape the infrastructure industry.

“The Virtual Meeting Room developed by ArchTam to support Fort Benning’s HOMMTA public notice period provided participants with a platform that delivered the necessary materials and information to effectively conduct our virtual public meeting. This platform enabled Fort Benning to use modern digital capabilities to adapt to the COVID environment.” – U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District

If we are to build a better world for generations to come, we need all members of our society to be active, vocal participants in the process. Virtual public consultation, incorporating VR, is a powerful tool in achieving societal equity and improving our built environment for our communities.

I would like to thank the people who helped bring the Virtual Consultation tool to life and make it a success. Through their hard work and innovative approach to problem solving, Andy Thomas, Xavier Xia and Jamie Lord were able to bring this offering to market quickly and ensure our clients’ work kept moving forward.

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Briefly tell us about yourself and your role at ArchTam

I’m a senior BIM manager responsible for setting BIM strategy for projects. Part of that includes introducing new workflows, selecting software technology stacks and introducing change management.

My work involves pushing digital methodologies that optimize BIM processes. On our latest project, Oriel Eye Hospital, we are using next-generation BIM software and process to bring virtual reality to stakeholders to better inform design decisions. Our design team meetings now take place in virtual reality with teams across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Leveraging Autodesk’s Construction Cloud platform, we have added value and innovation, reducing the need for 2D drawings.

Some fun facts about me are that I’m currently writing a digital catalogue on Venetian well heads and I have a YouTube channel, BIM Coffee.

What is your legacy? How do you make an impact?

At ArchTam, we have the potential like no other company to innovate and use digital tools, due to our variety of expertise and disciplines. We’re in a position to change the industry and improve how the industry works.

My proudest moments at work are when I get to demonstrate how the latest digital strategy can improve the design team’s working day. I enjoy seeing the sparkle in someone’s eyes when they realize the benefits and the improved communication. It’s rewarding to support and help improve the design process for project teams.

What’s next in infrastructure for you? How do you see that trend shaping the work you do today?

I believe technology will build a better world. Digital tools and BIM are a part of this, and help with reducing waste, having a more accurate product and allowing the built environment to benefit from digital transformation. It’s an astonishing time to be in AEC amidst Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, and ArchTam is at the forefront of it.

What advice would you give to someone pursing a STEM education or a career in the AEC sector?

My advice would be to take online courses to stay up to date with the latest progressions made in cloud computing. Read the industry standards and attend as many industry events as you can, which are virtual during this time.

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Our generation must come to grips with the fact that the California dream is threatened by a historic affordability crisis. Aging and inadequate infrastructure cannot support the current population, and economic development is insufficient to accommodate projected growth or address our growing environmental challenges. All these issues are occurring during a long overdue social revolution and a historic global pandemic. Yet, there is reason for hope.

California’s economy is the envy of many, in part because we have one of the most diverse and culturally rich populations in the world. Despite the lack of national leadership on climate and infrastructure, and inner-California in-fighting on housing issues, much of our state and municipal leadership is at the center of international and national environmental and equity discussions. In our short-term response to the coronavirus pandemic, Californians have worked across the political, economic and social spectrum to keep California relatively safe. We need to channel this collaborative spirit to assess the next stages of recovery and challenge ourselves to look forward to a better normal, where the California dream is available to everyone for generations to come.

The Next Generation of Transportation

California’s identity must change from the iconic image as the birthplace of crowded highways to a reimagined icon of mobility — one aligned with our state’s 2017 Executive Order to be carbon neutral by 2045[ii] and one of cities and communities of pedestrians and cyclists making local trips, while efficient, safe and carbon-free mass transit connects us across regions and the state. We must replace the iconic and prevalent gas stations of the 20^th century with a statewide charging and electric transportation network that is not only accessible, but also a right of all Californians. The 2017 Executive Order set a goal that by 2030, we must have 5 million[iii] zero emissions vehicles, but of the approximately 15 million registered vehicles in California today, only 100,000 are zero emissions vehicles.[iv]

Transit-oriented Housing

For generations, California living has been typified by bungalows and single-family houses in suburban neighborhoods defining the symbolic sunny California lifestyle replete with citrus trees in everyone’s backyards. This vision was not open to all and its sprawling reality is not sustainable. We need a new vision of communities with townhouses and apartments surrounding neighborhood parks, which are affordable to our workforce and are supported by transit — creating places where people can live, work and play within a 20-minute walk or transit ride. This would dramatically enhance the efficiency of our land-use. California has a housing shortfall of 3.5 million units and 41.6% of its residents are rent-burdened.[v]

Creating Quality Jobs

For several generations, we have been proud to see the “Designed in California” labels while ignoring the true environmental and social cost of offshoring manufacturing. Today’s advanced manufacturing can bring back jobs without polluting our air and water tables if we invest in and advocate for an advanced manufacturing renaissance and sustainable agricultural industry here in California. We must invest in all Californians through education and job training and provide a pathway to quality jobs to eliminate working poverty. This will require significant investment in not only workforce training, but also modern energy, water and transport infrastructure[vi] to underpin the growth in California.

Mitigating Climate Change

California’s valleys, mountains and shorelines are threatened by climate change in the form of flooding and wildfires. Adaptation has been studied and strategies developed, but many are waiting to be implemented due to a lack of funding, fragmented governance and permitting challenges[vii]. It was estimated that in 2019, there was $25 billion of damage caused by fire alone[viii]. Real estate worth $100 billion, countless habitats and 25 million residents are still vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding[ix].

We need the social, economic and political resolve to invest in implementing these strategies and as quickly as possible. We need to pivot from investing in recovery to investing in adaptation and resilience that allows Californians to thrive together. Only then can we be closer to turning the myth of a resilient California dream into a reality that is available to all the world’s most ambitious, adventurous and innovative.

[i] https://www.kcet.org/shows/departures/california-calafia-khalif-the-origin-of-the-name-california

[ii]https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-california-achieve-a-ldquo-carbon-neutral-rdquo-economy/

[iii] https://www.insideenergyandenvironment.com/2018/09/governor-jerry-brown-signs-sb-100-and-executive-order-to-achieve-carbon-neutrality-by-2045/

[iv] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicles_in_California

[v] https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-california-housing-crisis/

[vi] https://www.labor.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CA-FOW-Working-Draft-frame-and-architecture-for-recommendations-Mar-12.pdf

[vii] https://cal-adapt.org/blog/posts/maps-projected-change-01142020/

[viii] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-28/california-fire-damages-already-at-25-4-billion-and-counting

[ix] https://sealevelrise.org/states/california/

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The coronavirus crisis has shown just how essential innovation is. In response to the pandemic, we moved the majority of our 14,000 staff across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to remote working — in some cases practically overnight. That was possible because we’d already invested in the technology and infrastructure to allow our teams to work remotely and with agility. However, we never anticipated working from home at this scale. When the pandemic first began, several of our leaders had reservations as to how this would work for a prolonged period of time for so many people. We’ve been able to not only sustain in this new working arrangement for more than three months, but also to thrive.

The coronavirus has forced the pace of change — and we need to keep that up. The lockdowns have prompted us to migrate more projects to secure cloud-based platforms and massively accelerate our BIM360 virtual training program to reach more than 400 people in each session. In doing so, we’ve been able to complete six months of in-person training in just a few weeks!

We’ve also seen how digital tools have enabled the super-rapid completion of projects during this crisis. We delivered the NHS Louisa Jordan coronavirus field hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, with zero defects in just three weeks, thanks to embedding dynamic digital tools to record and monitor defects in real time.

Overall outcomes of ArchTam’s digital transformation

The adoption of digital tools and processes has helped us work faster, smarter and better, and our clients are benefiting from improvements in quality, cost and schedule. We’re continually innovating and developing our own tools and processes such as the Reality Capture tool which visually captures on-site construction progress in minutes, and provides open access to all stakeholders to share information easily and efficiently.

I should also highlight a couple of other brilliant solutions such as the Playbook information management platform we’ve developed for LinkedIn and others, and the virtual public consultation tool developed by VR Lead Andy Thomas that is now being used by a number of councils in the UK, Public Health England and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We have talented, insightful people who are bringing digital and innovation to the forefront of how we deliver spot-on solutions for our clients’ challenges.

Next steps

A full transition to making digital “business as usual” is the next step, and to do this we need to focus on skills. We want everyone at ArchTam to be able to design for and in the future. The 2D to 3D upskilling program we’re launching this year for more than1,000 people across EMEA is ambitious, but essential, and I’m excited to see where it will take us.

Upskilling more of our people is key to our success and we are embedding a strong digital and innovation culture through internal competitions such as our Mindblazer and Global Challenge programs. Ian Small, our EMEA Innovation Champion, has been sourcing fantastic solutions through these programs, which encourage innovation and ideas from any employee in any part of the company. Our EMEA Digital Project Delivery team has then been driving this innovation into projects, in partnership with our teams and clients. We’re seeing great outcomes as a result, such as the UK’s first Digital ES for the A303 project for Highways England.

The post-coronavirus recovery

Digital adoption is really a means to transforming outcomes for communities, and our off-site volumetric solution, INNO, that has been developed with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, is helping to accelerate the delivery of much needed homes. Working virtually in BIM360, producing Design for Manufacture and Assemblydetailing, we’re able to deliver higher quality, low-carbon homes, in half the time. I’m hoping that success will breed further success and increase digital adoption in our industry.

Once clients start experiencing the benefits — the savings, collaboration, efficiencies, better environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes, and more effective operation and maintenance — we’ll start to tip the scales toward digital and innovation as commonplace in the construction industry.

We’re also supporting our clients in their digital transformation journeys as well as our own — delivering a more resilient way of working in the post-coronavirus recovery. The recent crisis has accelerated the transition and we need to build on that momentum. We are proud of the market-leading work we are delivering with the development and use of digital libraries and common data environments, both of which were invaluable to keep design and collaboration going in a virtual environment. As we come out of this crisis we can’t go back to business as usual — we want to accelerate the industry’s digital transformation and support communities in their recovery.

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As we look to the future of our work, we are comforted to see that our vision for the firm’s digital transformation holds true. We will remain a talented, efficient and focused team — benefitting from our scale and the strength of our digital tools to deliver the best results in the industry. For example, virtual collaboration tools are table stakes in our industry and we have transitioned seamlessly to a remote work environment during the coronavirus pandemic.

Looking to the future of how we deliver work, some of our most important investments are in creating artificial intelligence and machine learning platforms to enable our teams to become even more capable and efficient. In today’s world, a secondary benefit is fast becoming apparent: Applying ArchTam’s digital tools allows more of our work to be delivered remotely, by a connected global workforce, than ever before — especially critical when our clients or the global environment demand it.

In our design business, we have developed a platform called ArchTam Learned Intelligence, or ALI. ALI is an artificial intelligence engine that is constantly learning from our engineering work. Whether it be a campus, a structure or a transportation network, ALI is capable of processing all the three-dimensional elements of each design. Over time, ALI is building an ever-growing library against which to check every future design that ArchTam creates. In close to real-time, ALI advises our designers in order to improve the quality of their modeling.

Tools like ALI present several benefits for our business. First, they improve the quality of our work by taking full advantage of our scale. It’s as if every ArchTam engineer is looking over the shoulder of our teams as they create a new design, ready to provide input and potentially catch errors and omissions before they happen. Second, they allow our organization to effectively collaborate remotely. ALI doesn’t depend on being co-located in the same ArchTam office. Tools like ALI allow our employees to work naturally at scale, involving the most capable people from our global footprint in our projects. Finally, they provide immense value to our clients. Imagine a world where any infrastructure owner could tap into our collective experience to review a design.

Another exciting innovation from ArchTam involves our field work. We believe that computer vision and artificial intelligence will revolutionize the way in which we collect data outside of our offices. We have created a platform that uses video and imagery collected in the field and applies artificial intelligence to find and assess infrastructure assets. Eventually, any decision that our engineer could make in the field — the condition of an overhead electric grid, the quality of a building facade, the suitability of roadway for autonomous vehicles — will be made by artificial intelligence. By training models using our skilled engineering workforce and fully leveraging our industry-leading scale, we will provide our clients even more efficient and effective infrastructure services. Today, putting less people in the field and collecting data in more efficient ways means less impact on our clients and the communities they serve.

Has our digital future changed? We don’t think so, but our journey is accelerating. At ArchTam, we continue to lead the industry in imagining what’s next. Visit our new Innovation + Digital microsite, where we share innovative solutions, products, thought leadership and success stories from across our global business.

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We are excited to announce the launch of ArchTam’s new Innovation + Digital microsite, a platform to interact with you — our clients and partners — to share innovative solutions, products, thought leadership and success stories from across our global business.

Innovation and digital transformation are essential to our culture at ArchTam. Across the globe, our talented teams are always working to improve infrastructure and create opportunities for everyone. Whether we are creating digital solutions to drive efficient design, innovating through modular construction, or helping the world address environmental contaminants like PFAS, we are at the forefront of change.

Our people are finding new and improved methods of working — with project collaboration moving to the cloud, remote teams are becoming the norm and our scale is emerging as a key differentiator for our company.

As we continue our digital journey, we are focused on three key areas of growth:

• Efficient and Automated Design and Construction captures how we apply technology to design better, build faster and collaborate virtually throughout the process.
• Data-driven Asset Management focuses on the infrastructure lifecycle, bringing digital tools and process innovations to how we assess, plan, deliver, operate and maintain the world in which we live.
• Data Management and Intelligence looks to unlock the value of data, capturing the scale of ArchTam’s global footprint and delivering valuable offerings for our clients across sectors.

We encourage you to fully explore our Innovation + Digital site. For a complete experience:

• Start by watching the video highlighting our global achievements at ArchTam.
• Read about how ArchTam and Google sponsored an exciting hackathon with our clients.
• Listen to Pete Flint discuss the future of offsite modular construction, hosted by James Banks on ArchTam’s Talking Infrastructure podcast. Then dive deeper, with insights from designer and author of “A Lead Designer’s Handbook” Dale Sinclair as he describes transforming the design process.
• Download our Digital Delivery Report for future reference and spend some time getting to know our global Digital and Innovation network, who are helping to deliver cutting edge solutions to projects across the world.

We encourage you to visit our new microsite to learn more about our digital journey, our offerings, how to reach us for more information and, ultimately, how we can best partner with you to deliver an innovative future.

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What inspires you most in your new role as Houston executive?

I have always had tremendous respect for ArchTam as a leader in the global marketplace and especially admire the diversity of our workforce as a large global company. Houston’s client base and workforce are exceptionally diverse and embody an innovative culture that continues to be a growth engine for our region. My goal is for our two local offices to mirror the diversity and inclusion of Houston, which is one of the most diverse cities in the country.

The competition for talent isn’t showing signs of slowing. What sets ArchTam apart as the employer of choice in Houston?

ArchTam’s Houston office is growing. We currently have 28 open requisitions in a variety of disciplines and job levels. As the world’s premier infrastructure firm, our planners, designers, engineers, consultants and construction managers work with visionary clients, partners, colleagues and mentors and our people have access to the largest network of professional expertise in the industry. The variety of our cross-disciplinary work, coupled with the places you can go, make for a dynamic career experience. ArchTam offers talented professionals a scope and scale of opportunities that other firms cannot match. We are proud to employ more than 9,000 military veterans on projects around the world, across professions, disciplines and markets. Their leadership, team-building and analytical skills, coupled with an unwavering commitment to a job well done, are critical in making decisions in the face of uncertainty and ensuring safe operations in high-risk environments.

You’ve been at the forefront of developing revenue growth strategies for a wide range of multi-discipline industries. What strategy delivers consistently, even in unprecedented times?

A successful revenue growth strategy is multi-faceted; it’s the execution of best practices resulting from listening to our clients and applying innovative solutions to overcome their most complex challenges. We are currently advising our government and private clients during the coronavirus pandemic to help prepare for the anticipated economic stimulus. Now more than ever, if I’m doing my job as a leader, I must spend as much time with our customers as I spend mentoring our employees. When our clients are successful, we are successful, with growth being a byproduct.

The city continues to experience rapid growth. How is ArchTam addressing Houston’s changing infrastructure and helping cities ensure they are choosing the right solution at the right time?

ArchTam has been part of the Houston community for 50 years. While we are a global firm, our local employees are Houstonians and experience the changing demands of Houston’s infrastructure. We understand the need to develop smart and sustainable infrastructure. Our teams can leverage advanced technology and shared learning throughout the company to uniquely address infrastructure challenges. ArchTam’s designated Cities practice draws on our diverse expertise from across the company to help make cities better places for the future. As we continue our pursuit for the METRONext Program, a plan of 500 miles of travel improvements to ease traffic congestion, it will be critical to deliver future mobility enhancements spanning multiple ongoing projects that create a universally accessible built environment for Houston.

What does the future hold for the city of Houston over the next 5-10 years?

Based on the past decade, Houston will remain on a growth trajectory into the foreseeable future. The population is projected to reach 10 million in the next 15 to 20 years – the equivalent of adding the combined city population of Dallas and San Antonio to the Houston metro area. Developing the infrastructure to support Houston’s strategy to meet the growing demand is paramount and improving connectivity through innovations in mobility will provide a strategic advantage to Houston to retain and attract new businesses. ArchTam is at the forefront of developing solutions to address these challenges and excited to be part of the future of Houston.

Who inspires you most as a leader?

For me, my inspiration comes from within. It’s triggered by my sense of responsibility to others. I do best in team environments that are fueled by determination and desire to see the invisible and accomplish the impossible, which in turn embodies my passion for leadership.

Staying safe on and off the job is a top priority at ArchTam. What is our company doing to address concerns during this current climate?

In the U.S., ArchTam has quickly and effectively pivoted our global workforce to deliver work remotely in accordance with nationwide mandated stay-at-home orders. Our interpretation of government orders, including in Texas, is that the work we perform is “essential” so our physical office locations remain open for designated employees. We still maintain a considerable number of staff who are working in the field to deliver on projects. In every case, we maintain adherence to CDC guidelines as we prioritize the safety of our people while maintaining business continuity on vital client projects.

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We’ve all heard the staggering statistics – over half the world’s population will live in urban areas by the middle of the century, the benefits of a global economy are distributed for the fortunate few, and climate change continues to exacerbate existing environmental concerns while creating new ones. The sheer magnitude of these physical, social and moral concerns and the unrelenting pressure that comes with having a small role to play in stemming the tide can overwhelm anyone, from policy makers to urbanists to the general public.

As the need for improved infrastructure increases, it can be tempting to default to new emerging technological solutions, like automated vehicles or artificial intelligence, as the wunderkind solution to all our problems. And who can blame us? As the intellectual and financial momentum of the technology sector pivot from the digital realm to the physical realm, we are seeing rapid improvements in technologies that only a decade ago seemed impossible. Hyperloop technology was a mere whitepaper in 2013, and in 2019 we have a fully automated, electric hyperloop pod zipping through a near vacuum tube at several hundred miles an hour. Instead of the internet acting as the laboratory for many startups, there is a more deliberate emphasis on the city and its people as the test bed for experimentation. This new unexpected inertia has led to rapid shifts in many previously fundamental assumptions about the form of cities and the arrangement of urban space, such as the increased value of curb space and the devaluation of structured parking garages.

With such rapid change upon us, how do we properly plan and design for the future? How do we help cities ensure they are choosing the right solution, at the right time, without exacerbating or reinforcing equity issues?

As overwhelming as these changes may appear, finding the path forward can often be as simple as ensuring that we are asking the right question about the right problem: Are we designing for technology itself, or are we designing for the people using the technology? Rapid change is not new in city building and there are clear examples in the past where we have erred and where we have succeeded in adapting to it. In designing cities around the automobile instead of people, we mistakenly measured success on vehicle throughput instead of our ability to connect people to jobs and housing. In our pursuit of economic growth, we tended to prioritize luxury development projects near transit oriented districts instead of treating them first and foremost as mechanism to solve affordable housing and mobility needs. And in our effort to maximize and protect property values, we segregated communities.

Deliberate human-centered design and planning can help counter our temptation to focus on technology instead of allowing it to adapt to us. In our work with planning hyperloop and high speed rail systems across Texas for six metropolitan planning organizations, we identified potential station locations not by highlighting available developable land or compatibility to technology deployment, but by which locations provided the most public benefit to the communities, such as locations where transit-oriented development could provide affordable housing to transit dependent populations. We then worked backwards to see how emerging technologies, like hyperloop and automated BRT, and corridor alignments could best work for those stations. This approach allowed us to always prioritize people in the decision-making process rather than technology modes or convenient rights-of-ways.

As we move into an era where technological change is defining many of our solutions to city building, despite our uncertainty about potential negative externalities, maintaining a clear perspective with a priority on human centered outcomes rather than technological can better help us navigate the future and build for tomorrow.

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Vehicle crashes consistently rank as one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States, exacting heavy emotional and financial tolls on individuals, communities and society. Preventing these accidents is a top priority for decision makers around the country. We must recognize that our roadways, as they are, reinforce dangerous tendencies for drivers and pedestrians and that our fatal and severe crashes are a critical and preventable public health issue.

This is where future-looking initiatives like Vision Zero come in and change the way the transportation industry, communities and elected officials handle their roadways.

Vision Zero, already adopted by several major U.S. cities including Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington DC and throughout Europe, is based on a set of principles which declares that all actions should adhere to the following:

• Traffic deaths and serious injuries are preventable
• No loss of life is acceptable
• Human life and health are prioritized
• Human error is inevitable and transportation systems should be forgiving
• People are vulnerable and speed is a fundamental predictor of crash survival
• Focus on systems-level changes above influencing individual behavior

The Citizens of Philadelphia were introduced to the initiative in December 2015 with the first Vision Zero conference and began to consider how it would be applied to their city. Mayor Jim Kenny hired the first Director of Complete Streets in 2016 and Philadelphia’s Vision Zero Action Plan released an overall goal of zero traffic deaths by 2030. The action plan laid out the following priorities, equitable to all citizens:

• Save lives by reducing the number of traffic-related deaths and severe injuries
• Improve overall performance of streets system and prioritize the safety of those using our streets who are most vulnerable
• Reduce Philadelphians’ risk for developing chronic diseases by promoting active transportation
• Shift trips from motorized to active modes of transportation to reduce congestion, improve air quality and improve health safety

This plan kicked off the current movement to make Philadelphia a safe and truly accessible city. In an effort to build for tomorrow, the data-driven approach has allowed the city to focus on its high injury network of roads. The corridors with the highest rates of fatalities and severe injuries cover 50 percent of all major incidents in just 12 percent of Philadelphia streets.1 Paired with focusing on the most dangerous roadways, instituting protected bike lanes, newly designed curbless intersections and aesthetically-pleasing designs have only increased the ability of Philadelphians to get around in a safe, sustainable manner.

In parallel with the City’s initiative, organized by the Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition, ArchTam has been an avid supporter and partner in the Vision Zero conference each year since its inception. In 2018, we were challenged to develop a way to help the different road users to be empathetic to each other’s experiences. We developed a 3D virtual reality experience that invoked emotional reactions from those who tried it. The VR allowed the viewer to experience a busy road as a pedestrian, bicyclist or driver with varying levels of sidewalk and bicycle lanes (protected and unprotected). The immersive experience gave attendees a glimpse into the perspective of other roadway users.

The project’s collaborative nature has allowed all stakeholders to have a say enforcing the notion that we’re all working together for safer streets. Community members from all walks of life are working together and empathizing with one another to better understand how we can transform our current environment and build safer ones in the future – together.

1: Vision Zero Philadelphia Three-Year Action Plan

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