Equity & Inclusion

Inequality is a longstanding issue in society. Across the world, it has manifested through different cycles, underlying causes, and impacts.

For a long time, research has shown how infrastructure and transportation have contributed to reducing inequalities, for example, by providing services to disadvantaged communities and facilitating access to employment and education. However, they have also been a critical player in widening disparities through projects that disproportionately affect specific populations, do not consider the needs and expectations of users or those affected by them, and have been designed to do so.

Impact of COVID

These inequalities and the role of transportation, infrastructure, and city planning in addressing them have been highlighted and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has demonstrated that a fair society demands change, which can only be realised if equity and inclusion are incorporated as fundamental building blocks of decision-making. The economy, health, and environment are increasingly a top priority for governments, the private sector, and stakeholders seeking to build back better. These historic times require all stakeholders, from policymakers to communities and private sector investors, to better understand the nature of inequality and make significant contributions to progress via their work. This challenge also necessitates a shift in how we interact with each stage of the project and policy lifecycle.

Our commitment

At Steer, we are committed to advancing equity internally, making Steer a better place to work and more representative of the communities we work in and externally through the work and advice we provide to you, our clients. Internally, we have committed to regularly updating and making public our aims and objectives for equity, diversity, and inclusion. Find out more.

Externally, our commitment is represented by our equity and inclusion practice. We leverage our global reach through a network of Equity and Inclusion leaders, supported by a large group of practitioners and advisors in all our offices around the world. This team combines diverse backgrounds and expertise to provide advice with a solid local understanding of worldwide best practices.

Please get in touch with any of our E&I international leads if you are interested in incorporating equity and inclusion into public policy, planning, or investment for towns and cities, transportation, and infrastructure.

How we can help

We are equipped to support our clients in solving Equity and Inclusion challenges by:

• Deploying problem-solving capabilities with a deep understanding of context-specific issues to deliver solutions.
• Combining global experience with our ability to respond locally.
• Understanding the intersectionality of Equity and Inclusion and trade-offs with other policy and investment implications.
• Working independently and impartially with data and evidence-driven analysis.
• Mainstreaming Equity and Inclusion in our project development.