Shelter-In-Place regulations have changed how we travel, commute and exercise, giving us glimpses of a world that prioritizes active mobility. Will these new habits stick as we return to our “normal” state? How can we leverage this moment to address structural inequities in our cities, both in terms of access to jobs and services, and in forms of environmental justice, access to open space and improved mental health? How can we rethink the design of infrastructure projects and public spaces to accommodate an increase in active mobility habits, while maintaining the physical separation to keep us safe and healthy?
We will have an audience Q&A after the panelist discussion, and we invite you to send us your questions.
Agenda
Panel Overview/Introduction
Presentations/Observations from Panel Members
Q&A with Moderator and Panel Members
Q&A with Audience
Presenters
Chris Hwang
Walk Oakland Bike Oakland ↔︎ Panel Member/President
Chris is the Director of Data and Evaluation at the Oakland Promise. Her professional work spans more than 20+ years in public health, education, and workforce development. WOBO gives Chris opportunities to advocate for change to make Oakland a healthier place to live. Chris served as the Chair of the City of Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee from 2011 to 2014 and served as a Commissioner on the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission until 2017. Chris is actively involved in the East Oakland Futures Festival planning process, Oakland Urban Paths and Oaklavía, Oakland's Open Streets program.
I am a senior engineer in Toole Design’s Seattle office. I work with municipalities to incorporate multi-modal transportation choices into the urban and suburban landscape. I design active transportation facilities that help create a network of safe and comfortable streets. I work on roadway projects to increase predictability for all road users and I work on best practices for these types of projects at both the local, state, and national levels.
Megan Gee
ARUP - Panel Member/Transportation Planner
Megan Gee is a Senior Planner in Arup’s San Francisco Integrated Planning team. She is originally from Sydney Australia and has been working in the Bay Area for over 7 years on a wide range of projects from strategic transportation master plans to pedestrian modeling of spaces. Megan is passionate about human-powered travel, safety, and equity: in 2019 she joined the board of Walk San Francisco and served on the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force Advisory Group on Speed Limits for CalSTA, and is currently participating in the Open Architecture Collaborative’s Pathways to Equity Fellowship.
Erica Strohmeier
SERA Architects - Moderator/Urban Planner
Erica Strohmeier is an Urban Planner and Project Manager in SERA’s Oakland office. She has more than 16 years of experience working in both the public and private sectors of urban planning and has practiced in California and Sydney, Australia. In recent years, Erica has focused on managing projects specific to pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, as well as user safety on bike paths and multi-use trails. Erica has a passion for eliminating connectivity barriers to equitably connect people to public open space and nature.