What does equity mean? When it comes to transportation and conversations around transportation investments in the Puget Sound region, what considerations to ensure equity must be made? Last week in Pierce County, the Tacoma Equity Network held a summit which aimed at starting these conversations, discussing Jobs, Housing, Transportation, Criminal Justice, and Environmental Justice and how all of these areas of our community may be made more equitable. These conversations will be continued at a Regional Equity Summit next weekend at Highline Community College.
As part of an ongoing project, Growing Transit Communities, in partnership with Transportation Choices, The Tacoma Urban League, Solutions for Humanity, Community & Environment, Tacoma Pierce Affordable Housing Consortium, The City of Tacoma, Associated Ministries, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Forterra, and Pierce County, partnered to plan the first ever Pierce County Equity Summit. These groups comprise the Tacoma Pierce County Equity Network, which will hopefully be an ongoing project enabling conversations in Tacoma and Pierce County, part of a larger Puget Sound Equity Network.
Over 100 participants came on Thursday night to discuss equity concerns in Pierce County, specifically how to continue to make Pierce County a place where all citizens have equal access to services and can live and thrive. The summit included time for general discussion and small group breakout sessions after presentations included Amy Bates, Executive Director of Solutions for Humanity, Community, and the Environment, Marya Gingrey City of Tacoma Human Rights Manager, and Victoria Woodards, President/CEO, Tacoma Urban League.
Funding provided by U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development through the Growing Transit Communities Partnership. More information about the work of the Puget Sound Regional Equity Network can be found at http://pugetsoundequity.org/?p=74 and http://www.psrc.org/growth/growing-transit-communities/regional-equity/ .
