New Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMO) Transit Infrastructure and Displacement
HR&A supported the New Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMO) to leverage the historic influx of federal infrastructure funding as an opportunity to champion a paradigm shift in how communities approach infrastructure investment. As part of this effort, HR&A supported 15 cities to design projects that reconnect communities, led workshops on measuring and mitigating displacement, and developed the Good Start Toolkit, which offers guidance for working with communities on similar efforts across the country.
Many historic infrastructure decisions have neglected community needs, overlooked past harms, and failed to capture the full benefits of new capital entering communities. During a new era of infrastructure investment powered by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and American Recue Plan Act (ARPA), NUMO and its partners sought to develop a framework for investment that centers equity, access, and resiliency.
HR&A collaborated with NUMO to support 15 cities designing locally driven projects that reconnect communities separated or harmed by divisive infrastructure. HR&A developed content, trained facilitators, and ran sessions for a November 2023 Community Connectors convening, in partnership with NUMO, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Equitable Cities, Smart Growth America, and America Walks. The convening guided teams of representatives from local and state governments, community-based organizations, and other community stakeholders to build trust, workshop challenges, and solutions, and gain technical expertise in pursuit of new federal and state funding opportunities.
As part of the convening, HR&A developed a conference session focused on integrating anti-displacement efforts alongside work to address divisive infrastructure. The session addressed the basics of displacement, how to measure displacement, and potential strategies for mitigation. Participants developed an understanding of the shared roles and responsibilities of coalition members to address displacement. HR&A also facilitated small group discussions for participants to elevate their own experience around displacement and strategies to protect at-risk communities.
HR&A developed the Good Start Toolkit following the convening, capturing this approach into a guide for use by communities and governments nationally. The Toolkit offers guidance for building the foundation for enduring partnerships, repairing damage created by past harms, and creating broad and effective coalitions for addressing community needs. NUMO and their partners will use the Toolkit for ongoing engagements with communities across the country.
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Community Connectors Kickoff: Key Takeaways from the Atlanta Convening — NUMO
