Topics: 2024 Conference
The 2024 Mpact Transit + Community conference was a huge success, drawing nearly 1100 attendees from the US, Canada, Mexico and beyond for four days of learning, exploring and connection.
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In social posts, attendees talked about the “wide array of relevant topics, fostering active engagement from both speakers and participants who were not only well-informed but also collaborative and passionate.” They took home “invaluable insights into equitable transit-oriented development and sustainable city design.” People also loved “being immersed in the urban fabric of Philly” and exploring the region via 27 Mobile Workshops, as well as walking tours and pre-conference events. Attendees came away with fresh ideas, energy and a wider network. As one said, “The Mpact Conference in Philadelphia is over. Now What? Implementation!”
A wide array of relevant topics
Mpact is where you come for ideas, we heard during the Welcome Reception at The Franklin Institute. The conference sessions, curated by Mpact’s National Steering Committee, focused on an array of topics related to building transit-oriented communities (TOC). If the conference is like a kaleidoscope on TOC, then each person had their own twist on what made it special.
This included big picture thinking about the connections between reliable transit infrastructure, climate resilience and affordable housing. It also included innovative approaches and international perspectives, on such topics as using new technologies to understand human behavior in transit spaces and designing gender-specific transit service.
Listen to the Tuesday plenary focused on housing preservation near transit.
Sessions and mobile workshops delved into aspects of urban sustainability – from infill development to parking to stormwater management – and focused on placemaking and using art in community building and planning. Attendees heard about the latest advances in transit, from bus stop audits to negotiating roadway space for BRT, from trolley modernization to mobility hubs, gondolas to regional rail, and more.
The conference also focused on pioneering efforts to involve community in decision-making about transit expansion and development. One vivid example of this came from a delegation from Pottstown, PA, a community about two hours west of Philadelphia that has come together to seize the moment and define the conversation about the potential restoration of Amtrak service to the city. The focus of a mobile workshop and session, Pottstown showcased a very inclusive approach to stakeholder engagement, including involving youth – and rap – in the conversation about thriving communities.
Slides from the session, Regenerative Design in Transit-Oriented Communities (click on the image to enlarge). Left shows GWP (Global Warming Potential) in the envelope, superstructure and substructure of a development. Credit: Aaron Budd, SVN Architects + Planners. Right-hand slide focuses on achieving zero emissions and carbon sequestration at a development site in Detroit. Credit Scott Bishop, Bishop Land Design, LLC. (Note: Conference presentations are available only for attendees.)
Slides from the session (click image to enlarge), Gender Inclusive Transit through Design and Policy. Left, Mexico’s efforts to address mobility gender issues through community knowledge. Credit Maria José Zacarias Guevara, Mexico City Ministry of Mobility. Right, the Pink Tax refers to the extra amount of money women pay for specific products or services, with examples from transit. Credit Ana-francisca de la Mora, Arcadis.
Slides from the session, Improving Bus Stops. Left, upgrading 1,000 bus stops in Atlanta. Credit Corentin Auguin, MARTA. Right, results from bus stop audit in Omaha. Credit: Sara Moulton, Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority of Omaha (Metro).
A wider network
The Mpact conference brings together a diverse, cross-sector group. It’s the place to meet people and hear stories and solutions that can be applied to our workplaces and communities.
As Mpact’s Board President, Diana Mendes, said, the conference always has been the place for people who want their work to make a difference, people (whether planners, engineers, elected leaders or community activists), “who want to work collaboratively for a better future for all.”
“As I began my career, I was searching for people who want to work collaboratively for a better future for all. And I found them at Mpact. It was called Rail~Volution then, but the heart and the soul of what we were doing was still the same. It was about building livable communities through good investment in transportation.” – Diana Mendes, Mpact Board President
Mpact PK Slam at BOK
On Tuesday night the conference shifted to South Philadelphia for the PK Slam. It was held at BOK, a former technical high school that is now an award-winning example of adaptive re-use. The PK Slam, presented by the Mpact Innovators, features individual PechaKucha™-style presentations that border on standup comedy. The crowd is loud and the ideas and attitude fly. A big shout out to the Mpact Innovators for all the preparation and especially to the individuals who jumped on stage! You rocked at BOK!
See you next year in Portland, Oregon, October 26-29
Next October 26-29, we’re going back to where it all began. Mpact Transit + Community 2025 will be back in Portland, where the first Rail~Volution conference happened in 1995. Thirty years! We’re growing up but not too fast. Ready to take on new challenges and dream big. Block your calendar and make plans to be there!
