To begin to reverse decades of discrimination and disinvestment, future infrastructure spending must put equity at the forefront.

In the history of highway construction in the United States, writes Denise Turner Roth, "[t]here are countless examples of vulnerable populations decimated in the name of progress and expansion." For a century or more, "infrastructure in U.S. cities has been planned, designed, and built too often without consistent and meaningful regard for the impacts on vulnerable communities, historically people of color, particularly those living in poverty."
According to Turner Roth, redressing the decades of negative impacts will take a conscious focus on equity in future infrastructure funding. "Equitable infrastructure considers the short- and long-term impacts on human health and well-being, and takes shape based on input from all members of a community. Equitable infrastructure is, at its core, defined by the principle that everyone deserves a fair opportunity to thrive."
Equitable infrastructure is critical, Turner Roth writes, for several reasons: the inequity perpetuated lasts for generations; inequity is too often invisible to many people; and inequity harms everyone, producing societal costs that ripple beyond the communities most directly affected.
Turner Roth outlines five ways to include equity in infrastructure spending that include diverse representation, consideration of outliers such as rural communities, opportunities for minority-owned businesses, nature-based solutions, and a strong understanding of the past. "Rebuilding our infrastructure today is an opportunity to do it right this time—for everyone. Without equity, our infrastructure remains broken."
FULL STORY: Why equity is critical to our future infrastructure spending

What the US Intercity Rail System Could Look Like
An FRA study shows how new Amtrak lines could connect tens of millions more Americans to rail travel.

National Housing Group Criticizes Executive Orders
The National Low Income Housing Coalition issued a statement charging that Trump’s executive orders would worsen the housing crisis.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Single-Stair Reform Gains Strength
The movement to legalize single-stair multi-story buildings is gathering momentum, with the typology offering a more efficient, flexible, and healthy way to build housing.

Boston Bus Signal Priority Project Yields Faster Travel Times
The city now plans to expand a year-long pilot project that reduced the time buses waited at traffic signals.

Condos, a Key Source of Affordable Housing for Homeowners, Are in Jeopardy
Decades of increasing costs and deferred maintenance could lead to people losing their homes unless changes are made.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of White Salmon
City of Naples
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service