Transport Planning Day 2021 

We are excited to announce our 2021 Transport Planning Day campaign, focusing on the role of transport planners in providing a transport system that ensures that everyone can have access to the services and opportunities they want.

Each year we  provide welcoming events that encourage transport planners to make connections across the profession and with associated industries, communities, and politicians.

“Transport Planning has never been more important”–
Gavin Newlands MP, Transport Planning Day 2020 Virtual Parliamentary Reception

The campaign provides a platform for transport planners to showcase their achievements and encourage young people into the profession.

“I joined Transport Planning Day 2020 to understand where transport planning is heading as an industry” – 2020 Audience Survey

This year’s theme – equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

Good transport unlocks horizons, provides opportunity and enables participation in economic, social and political life.

But not everyone has equal access to transport. It can provide benefits to some at the expense of others: fast traffic comes at the expense of safety, train lines and motorways can divide communities, and discrimination excludes some groups from feeling safe in public space and on public transport.

We have made a lot of progress over recent years with more accessible, affordable and inclusive streets, stations and public transport and started to remedy some of the errors of the recent past.

But to accelerate this progress and create more inclusive places and transport networks, we need a diverse transport planning profession and an inclusive process, that accounts for the differing needs of all people. Transport needs to reflect the public it serves and there is much more to do to improve the transport planning profession and the way we work.

As we recover from the pandemic and tackle the climate crisis, the transport industry needs to address the barriers that still exist within transport and design inclusive transport to ensure everyone can access the services and opportunities that they want and need.

 By failing to fix the existing issues in transport and the built environment, we perpetuate the barriers that prevent all people from enjoying the benefits good transport brings.

The pandemic has shone a light on profound inequalities, including institutional racism and women’s safety. It is important the transport planning community reflects on the times and demonstrates how we can help create a better society.

Panellist reception: ‘Tackling Hate Crime on Public Transport’ 

Every year as part of our Transport Planning Day campaign, TPS host a parliamentary reception to engage parliamentarians on tackling our chosen theme. This year we decided to focus the reception on hate crime on public transport. 

Transport Planning Day speakers

The keynote speakers for our Transport Planning Day were:

• Emma Ward - Director General for Roads, Places and Environment, Department for Transport 
• Lord Blunkett - former Home Secretary

As usual, Transport Planning Day consisted of two sessions, taking place on the afternoon 15^th November:

Session 1: What we need to do as an industry - 13:30-14:50

Speakers:

• Lord Blunkett - Former Home Secretary - 'Reflections on Travelling with a Disability over the years, and Delivering Change in Government'
• Platinum sponsor: AECOM – David Innis - 'Outcomes and Recommendations of the Transport Industry Roundtable on EDI and Social Value'
• Silver sponsor: ARUP – Nina Quarshie - ‘Better Transport Planning through more Diverse Organisations’

Our first session featured a keynote address from Lord Blunkett on his reflections travelling with a disability over the years, and delivering change in government, followed by two discussions on where we are as an industry. The session explored how transport planning organisations can address EDI within the profession, offering examples, recommendations and case studies of best practice.

Session 2: How our work can be more inclusive - 15:00-16:15

Speakers:

• Emma Ward, Director General for Roads, Places and Environment - 'Improving Accessibility'
• Gold sponsor: Jacobs – Richard Sanderson, Sherin Francis and Katie Pearse - 'Gender and Transport Planning'
• Victoria Heald, Winner of the 2021 TPS Bursary Competition - 'Unconscious Bias in Transport Planning' 

The second session started with a keynote address from the Department for Transport’s Emma Ward on accessibility, followed by a discussion of what inclusive transport planning looks like: who should we speak to when we develop projects and how?

We really enjoyed celebrating together the achievements of the transport planning profession in creating an inclusive and fair design for the wider community. 

Find out more about the Campaign Events 

 You can watch videos of the events using the links below.

Photographic Competition

We also launched a Photographic Competition for TPS Members to submit good quality photographs from the UK to illustrate good practice. For more information visit https://tps.org.uk/transport-planning-day-and-campaign/tps-photography-competition

The campaign engaged communities, politicians and professionals across the UK to raise awareness of transport planning, highlighting the vital role transport planners play in tackling the big challenges of our time and in influencing the way transport planning is delivered to make better places for people and improve quality of life.

You can find out more about the winners here. 

TP Day Campaign Sponsors

We're hugely grateful to our sponsors for their support for the 2021 Transport Planning Day campaign. 

The support from our partners enables us to shine a light on transport planning and the role  transport planners play in tackling the big challenges of our time, the way transport planning is delivered  to make better places for all people; as well as featuring positive role models to inspire the next generation of transport planners.

We are delighted to partner with AECOM as Platinum sponsor of the campaign. 

Thank you to Arup and Jacobs as Gold sponsors; Atkins, Stantec, Urban Movement and WSP as Silver sponsors and Kestrel Surveys, Podaris and Leeds School of Building as SME sponsors.