As Steer sponsors the Local Transport Summit we ask, how can we build consensus in polarised times?
Steer is the main sponsor of the Local Transport Summit 2023, due to take place in Sheffield on 18-19 October.
We are proud to announce that Steer is the main sponsor of the Local Transport Summit (LTS) 2023, due to take place in Sheffield this week.
At a time when the transport sector is receiving both political and media attention unseen since the 1960s, the theme of this year's summit focuses on the need to build consensus in polarised times. The COVID-19 pandemic and increased climate-consciousness created a shift in focus on local travel. However, public backlash, conspiracy theories, and even Government voices speaking on ‘anti-motorist’ policies and 15-minute neighbourhoods mean progress is not straight forward. How can we gain buy-in from stakeholders and local populations for progressive transport planning in an era of divisive rhetoric?
Taking place ahead of the long-anticipated Government Local Transport Planning (LTP) guidance due out this autumn, the 2023 LTS will discuss how to garner political and public support to ensure these plans make a substantial impact on both decarbonising travel and achieving its potential to combat inequity and social exclusion. By curating a diverse range of perspectives both within and outside the transport planning profession, we aim to stimulate fresh dialogues on how transport professionals can make a more significant difference in their work.
This year’s speakers will include: Clara Davies (DfT), Jason Prince (UTG), Professor Greg Marsden (ITS, Leeds), Pat Beijer and Martin Swales (SYMCA), Katie Day and Martin Tugwell (TfN), Professor Ian Loader (University of Oxford) and Norman Baker, Former Minister for Local Transport will give the after-dinner speech.
Political leaders and decision-makers will rub shoulders with those that shape strategy, engage in system design, and plan delivery within transport authorities at Kenwood Hall, Sheffield, across October 18 – 19. The event also welcomes participants connected to the future of our local transport system, including providers, advisors, researchers, and activists. Supported by the Department for Transport, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Urban Transport Group and other influential professional bodies, this summit has a well-earned reputation as a must-attend industry gathering.
The LTS moves across the UK regions and has been hosted in Oxfordshire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Hertfordshire, West London, and Cardiff. Following last year's triumphant Summit in Wales, this 7th annual gathering will offer a pivotal platform to address pressing local transport challenges faced by Transport Authorities across the nation, spanning climate change, public transport quality, active travel promotion, and sustainable local development.
Created by Local Transport Today, the summit offers a unique chance to take stock of the local transport landscape, identify current and future challenges, and shape our profession's response to these challenges.
