January 2022 Issue
A monthly forum to share diversity, equity, and inclusion resources.
Welcome to the next installment of Read.Watch.Listen: a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation.
Photo Credit: Freepik
This month, we are focusing on the recently passed federal Infrastructure Bill. As structural engineers, this bill stands to have a substantial impact on our companies, clients, and personal careers in the coming years; as people living in the United States, this will shape our environment and those of our fellow citizens. The resources below highlight how this bill can be used to advance racial equity in the U.S., while addressing some of the challenges to equity faced by the bill.
Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.
How Equity Isn't Built Into the Infrastructure Bill - and How to Fix It - Brookings
This article dives into seven specific obstacles the infrastructure bill faces with regards to racial equity, and how each of these challenges might be addressed as funds are allocated over the next five years.
How Far will Biden's Infrastructure Law Go in Creating Racial Equity? - The Washington Post
Michael Laris, Transportation Reporter for the Washington Post, outlines how the Infrastructure Bill approaches equity. Laris highlights some of the original plans of the bill and how they have evolved throughout the negotiation process.
The Infrastructure Bill, Racial Equity, and Local Government: How Should the Money be Spent? - UpZoned
UpZoned host and urban planner, Abby Kinney, dissects the recent infrastructure bill using an equity lens. Along with her guest, John Reuter, she breaks down some of the details of the infrastructure bill, and how they may help or hinder progress toward racial equity in the U.S. You can find the New York Times article referenced in the podcast here.
This article was originally published in the January 2022 issue of NCSEA's Structural Connection newsletter. For more information, check out NCSEA's DEI Resources.