MW18 - Co-Creating the Transit of Tomorrow
- 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Jeff Fahs, Klaudia Biala (WW+P), Monika Blat (Metrolinx), John Potter (Metrolinx)
- Mobile Workshop - $45 (pre-registration required)
Do you want to shift the perception of transit, limit negative impacts and make cities richer, all as part a major transit project? Walk to several parks along the under-construction Ontario Line as you learn about the process of co-creating a Joint Corridor guideway with local stakeholders. It’s a story of developing shared goals between the transit agency, city and stakeholders, including agreeing on land ownership and maintenance. It also is a story of taking early steps to integrate urban design and landscape architecture into transit planning. View the constructed guideway, noise barriers, bridge replacements and landscape installation. Understand the power of early community engagement and the process of co-creation. Take away examples of urban and landscape design opportunities within a heavy rail transit context.
Spread Too Thin: Doing More with Capital Funds
- 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Lee Caragiale, Saloni Shah, Mathieu Goetzke (Region of Waterloo), Jacquelyn Hayward (City of Toronto)
How do you know if you’re getting the most from your capital spending? Discover how cities and transit agencies are rethinking capital prioritization from the ground up. Dig into the frameworks and metrics that integrate operational needs with real demographic, geographic and socioeconomic conditions. See how agencies evaluate projects, whether it’s new capital or state of good repair. Then learn the strategies to stretch limited dollars further while building prioritization systems so that benefits reach communities often left behind. Because every capital dollar you spend tells a story about whose community matters.
Growing Inclusive Teams: Recruitment, Mentorship, Empowerment
- 8:30-10 a.m.
- Lee Caragiale, Charissa Iogna (City of Toronto), Gregg Moser (K&A LLC), Christina Sugiura (Left Turn Right Turn LTRT)
Did you know that there’s a huge generational gap to fill in the professions focused on building livable communities? It’s a gap that affects ways we understand our audiences and the kinds of communities we build. Did you know there’s also a huge gap in our industry between managers and executives across all disciplines, from finance to engineering, planning to operations? Join a lively discussion about how we address these gaps and bring more youthful, diverse voices into positions of influence, authority and decision-making. Expect perspectives from younger professionals and hear from a recruiter about leadership and succession planning. The key takeaway: we have to build strong communities internally to succeed in delivering reliable service and affordable, sustainable communities. Mind the gap.
A Bigger Circle: New Approaches to Serving Vulnerable Populations
- 10:30-11:30 a.m.
- Zahra Tavakoli, Lisa Josephson (TransLink), Vince Tam (HNTB)
Accessibility. Universal design. Inclusive design. These terms frequently get mentioned, but the circle of inclusion only stays wide if someone keeps widening it. Let's dust off our assumptions about vulnerable populations and explore community engagement that widens participation, research about child-centered accessibility, and technologies that spot barriers and augment riders’ physical limitations. Drawing on lessons from both sides of the Canada–US border, we’ll pair real-world examples with interactive exercises that deepen the discussion. Come ready to question your definitions of accessibility, universal design and inclusive design. The circle can always be bigger.
