What is ‘public’ about public transportation? The question of accessibility

27 February 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST

Although ‘the public’ in public transportation is rarely defined or interrogated, discourses about public transportation are shot through with assumptions about public space, public goods, and public life. Who is the ‘public’ of public transportation? To what extent do existing public transportation offerings provide universal, accessible, sustainable, and democratic urban mobility?

In this panel, researchers from different disciplines whose work is grounded in questions of dis/ability share some of their research and thoughts on how we should frame and explore accessibility in public transportation as a question of urban politics.

Speakers

Ron Buliung, Geography, University of Toronto
Mahtot Gebresselassie, EUC, York University
Aimi Hamraie, Social Science, York University
Commentary from James Perttula, Director of Transportation Planning, City of Toronto

This event is organized by the CIVIS research cluster at the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and co-sponsored by the CITY Institute. The event will be supported with live captioning. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any access needs.

Register at:

https://yorku.zoom.us/meeting/register/UPxZ1VSySaKSeQ2ISJlKQA