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Originally published on railvolution.org. Rail~Volution is now Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility.
The Rail~Volution 2020 virtual conference wrapped up on November 12 and wow, was it good to see all of you <3! Thank you for joining us and sharing your time, wisdom and energy. More than 750 attendees gathered over four days to experience four keynotes, 20+ core sessions, 30+ small discussion groups, virtual mobile workshops and more!
If you were there, remember: you have exclusive access to recorded content through December 31 by logging into the conference platform. While you’re there, you might want to check out the graphic recordings archived in the Forum.
While the virtual conference was different – an online, streamlined version of itself – it still managed to offer the same look, feel and experience that we all love about traditional Rail~Volution conferences, with curated content and opportunities to connect and share.
Here’s a quick look back at the four days and (scroll down) some of the common threads that emerged.
The four days of Rail~Volution 2020
Day 1 (Oct 21):
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi kicked us off with a thought-provoking keynote featuring his ideas about how to be an anti-racist. While he focused on the opportunity before us to reshape historic inequities through policy, he also encouraged everyone to start from where you are, band together with others if needed, and use your power in whatever way you can to dismantle white supremacy and spark meaningful change – do what you can where you are.
Discussion groups followed to debrief and internalize what we heard, utilizing a “roundtable chat” format that fosters free-form conversation and connections. In this time of social distancing due to Covid-19, it was remarkable and refreshing to have space to talk with each other.
Notes from the Day 1 Small Group Discussions
Day 2 (Oct 28):
The New Rail~Volutionaries hosted an informal coffee chat before Rail~Volution founder, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, welcomed everyone. Concurrent sessions followed covering an array of topics: from first-last mile to light rail project development; trail-oriented development to tactical urbanism; private sector financing to a reconsideration of safety on transit). Selected sessions featured graphic recordings – visual notes – by Kristen Elkow. During the keynote discussion, Peter Calthorpe offered a look at the evolution and future of TOD. That evening, the traditional conference highlight, the PK Slam, delivered much merriment to everyone who tuned in from their homes, beverage in hand.
PK Slam co-host Sandy DeCor
Day 3 (Oct 29):
After coffee chats with the New Rail~Volutionaries we enjoyed more concurrent sessions covering mobility hubs, parking, grassroots influence on policy, BRT, placemaking and more. This day included more facilitated small group discussion. The keynote from Emmy-nominated documentarian Akisa Omulepu provided an inside look at a New York City housing development and the large and small ways that where you live defines not just where you sleep at night, but also your ability to get to work, your choices for groceries and shopping, your physical movement, your access to the world beyond your immediate neighborhood, and your perception of the world.
A Tweet about the keynote. Pictured: (left) Alika Ampry-Samuel, New York City Councilmember representing Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant and other areas of Brooklyn and (right) Emmy-nominated documentarian, director, and producer, Akisa Omulepu.
Day 4 (Nov 12):
The last day brought people together for a final round of small group discussion before the closing keynote, a provocative panel moderated by Smart Growth America CEO Calvin Gladney, featuring Adonia Lugo, Roberto Requejo, and Joshua Schank as they digested the present moment while pointing us toward necessary actions for the future.
Speakers for the closing keynote of Rail~Volution 2020
Common threads from Rail~Volution 2020
It’s difficult to summarize the breadth and depth of a conference that spanned so much, but some common threads unique to this year emerged:
An urgent and revitalized call to integrate and center equity.
- Equity can no longer be just something to talk about or a check box requirement but must become front and center to the way we approach our everyday work.
The recognition of racial injustice in policy decisions and the clarion call to change this, going forward.
- Black and brown communities continue to experience impacts of historic housing and transportation policy decisions.
- We are each situated differently to be able to affect change at the policy, practice, and project levels.
2020 involved a “bevy of black swans,” as Roberto Requejo put it, building on Calvin Gladney’s idea during our closing keynote.
- This year has had a profound impact on communities across America (and the world). Now is the moment to commit to rebuilding in partnership with community.
So, what’s next?
Whether or not you attended the conference, we encourage you to consider these questions (found on page 21 of the conference attendee guide):
- Did anything in the conference or your experience this year shift your thinking about the way you approach your work?
- Are you prepared to lead in a different way? To take risks and change direction in the service of more equitable and livable communities? How will that look? Who did you meet who can help or inspire you?
- What’s not negotiable? What must hold true for you or your work as you move forward?
For Rail~Volution, this means staying true to our core even as we adapt to new circumstances. The 2020 conference shifted our thinking about how we host a conference, but also re-enforced the importance of bringing people together in community to connect and learn together. We hope to build more ways of doing this into our 2021 menu, because we know we all need fresh ideas and a support network to get to the other side.
We are prepared to lead in a different way. Rail~Volution has always been about building livable communities, but we’re prepared to step forward to be a more active voice and national influence for equitable transit oriented communities. We will be working with our Equity Advisory Team (comprised of Board and National Steering Committee Members) to develop actionable ways the Rail~Volution network can show up as anti-racists in their everyday work. What does success look like? Each community should define that for themselves, but we can do our part by inspiring, connecting, and equipping decision-makers to make sure transit, land use, and community development results in the kind of transformational change that everyone can benefit from – not just the people who move in, but the people who live there now.
Since the beginning we have drawn together an immensely talented and committed group of professionals, leaders and advocates who embody the true spirit of Rail~Volution. You’re in the trenches, on the project site, and in endless meetings, pushing your work beyond its footprint because you know the end result – the new BRT line, the next station, the multi-use development – goes beyond the project as well, affecting the lives of residents and the vitality of the community and region.
In this work. as we look forward, we reaffirm: Character matters. Community matters. Collaboration matters. Black Lives Matter. Those grounding principles serve as the foundation for our work connecting people, curating promising practices, and championing the need to start in a different place so we end up in a different place: building more equitable and livable communities where people of all incomes, abilities and identities can thrive.
Thanks for being part of Rail~Volution. We look forward to what we can do together in the year ahead to realize The Future We Want To See.
