Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (Mar 2021)
Exploring equity: How equity norms have been applied implicitly and explicitly in transportation research and practice
Abstract
By definition, equity is concerned with justice. On a societal level, equity is concerned with the just distribution of resources in society. Because a wide range of theories of just distribution exist, equity considerations are multifaceted and create a normative conceptual space in which theories can be considered, argued, and applied. In the past few decades, the concept of equity has received increasing attention within the transportation literature, both within academic journals and practice-oriented books and reports. These works present various theories of justice, either implicitly or explicitly, within the context of transportation financing, investments, and service allocations. While explicit normative reviews as well as arguments have been presented, implicit applications and imprecise definitions of equity theories have largely obfuscated and over-simplified this expansive topic. Within a predominantly western, US and euro-centric context, this article uses concepts and theories from the fields of social psychology, philosophy, and economics to understand and clarify the concept of equity within the field of transportation.
