Title

Roadways for People: Building safe, just and affordable communities

Abstract

When Lynn Peterson began working as a transportation engineer, she was taught to evaluate roadway projects based only on metrics related to driver safety, allowable speed for the highest number of cars, project schedule, and budget. Involving the community and collaborating with peers were never part of the discussion. Today, Peterson is a nationally recognized leader in transportation planning and engineering, known for her approach that is rooted in racial equity, guided by a process of community engagement, and includes collaboration with other professionals. Lynn Peterson will draw from her personal experience and interviews with leaders in the field to showcase new possibilities within transportation engineering and planning. Join us in a discussion on how to pave the way towards more inclusive communities.

Presentation

To be added.

Speaker Bio

Lynn is the author of Roadways for People:Rethinking Transportation Planning and Engineering. She currently serves as the Metro Council President Lynn Peterson (she, her, hers) leading the nation’s only elected regional government of over 1.7 million Oregonians in the Portland area. Peterson oversees a staff of more than 1000, charged with affordable housing and parks investments, protection of farms, forests and water resources, planning and investments in transportation, overseeing tourism and cultural venues as well as management of garbage and recycling.

Lynn’s 30-year-plus transportation career has covered an impressive range of experience. From building and designing roads to serving as an elected and appointed official in both Oregon and Washington, respectively, she has worked on policy and implementation of transportation projects and trained State DOTs on forward-thinking transportation planning processes.

Nationally recognized as a transportation and land use integration expert, she understands the pitfalls of being a White urban woman working with communities that are culturally and racially different from her own. She also recognizes that in order to do her best work, she must always strive to keep an open heart and mind in order to understand the perspectives of individuals in her communities.

Speaker Headshot

Lynn Peterson head shot 07 06 2022.jpg