Overview
This paper looks into how and why the COVID-19 Pandemic presented an opportunity to re-think how urban transportation policy and planning can address public needs through street reallocations for active transportation. The paper draws on 22 interviews with various municipal staff throughout Canada’s largest urban regions.
Conceptual Framework
The authors created a new model called FACT (Framework for Understanding Abrupt Change in Transportation Policy). The FACT model uses two policy theories:
1. Punctuated Equilibrium Theory
- Punctuated Equilibrium Theory aims to explain both stability and change in public policy, purporting that there are generally long periods of policy continuity with only incremental changes, known as periods of equilibrium, which are sometimes disrupted by punctuations of change (True et al., 2007).
2. Critical Junctures framework
- The concept of Critical Junctures is rooted in the social ontology of historical institutionalism, which is a perspective that highlights the importance of history, timing and contingency during periods of significant changes to planning systems and institutions (Sorensen, 2022).
Methods
- Study area: The study area includes the three most populous metropolitan areas in Canada, namely the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA, Ontario), the Metro Vancouver area (British Columbia) and the Metro Montreal area (Quebec).
- Data Collection: The paper explores research questions using a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with municipal staff (key informants).
- Data Analysis: Using the conceptual framework as a guide, the paper adopted a thematic analysis approach to analyse the interview data.
Results
- Permissive conditions (impact of a crisis):
- Public Health: Due to physical distancing and less transit use, urgency for alternate mobility options was created.
- COVID-19: Power of COVID-19, as a crisis, to disrupt the status quo and quickly transform roads and streets.
- Productive conditions:
- Political leadership and role models: Local politicians played a key part in the implementation of street reallocation initiatives, specifically by providing political support, direction and/or a delegation of authority.
- Use of Existing Plans: Metro Vancouver region highlighted their use of pre-existing master plans, including Official Community Plans, council strategic plans and cycling and pedestrian master plans. In contrast, the Montreal region did not identify using their city’s planning instruments to develop an active transportation response to the pandemic.
- Quick-build solutions: Temporary materials were integral to the rapid installation of street reallocations. Materials included construction barrels, bollards, paint and signage to mark or separate road space for active transportation.
Conclusion
The findings from this paper offer insights into opportunities to advance active transportation by altering the status quo in planning and policymaking processes.