Decolonizing the Way We Imagine and See Transportation

What do we imagine when we think of "modern transportation" for our cities? What do we see when we look for transportation that actually works for people? Most of the people who live in cities and towns around the world travel by popular transportation – a.k.a. "informal transportation." The minibuses, shared vans, and three-wheelers of cities across the Global South – matatus, jeepneys, tuk-tuks, dala dalas – move millions every day. They emerge where formal transit falls short, building networks out of necessity, creativity, and community.

The words planners and policymakers define them by what they are not, rather than recognizing what they are: homegrown, adaptive, and essential to urban life. Understanding these systems and understanding our mental biases is the first step to co-creating solutions that work for people – be they passengers, drivers, owners, or city and town managers.