Professor Martha Matsuoka from Occidental College published a very interesting article in Race, Poverty, & the Environment (a project of: Urban Habitat) about the clean and safe ports campaign and the building of regional power "to redefin[e] regional development, [develop] regional scale coalitions, and [rework] power to transform the way the economy works."  The article uses several examples from California and beyond to describe how coalition work can help groups with varying interests create blueprints for regions that are more sustainable and equitable.  This article could not have come at a better time as we are about to embark on changes and struggles that will define our nation for a long time.  Whether it is rebuilding our economy, battling global warming, or rebuilding the infrastructure we use, there appears to be a desire to create a new approach to how our nation works. Professor Matsuoka points out that as these regional coalitions are strengthened, there are new stakeholders with points of views that can no longer be ignored or marginalized. 

A particularly important part of the article states:

By redefining the terms of the debate, by engaging in coalitions, and building power (in the face of tremendous odds), Port and goods movement campaigns fuel social movement regionalism and advance the potential for new regional economic development, just community development, and the advancement of progressive national politics.

As we welcome into office a new administration in D.C., it will be important to build on this regional movement that Professor Matsuoka articulates in her article.  For example, the era of unconscionable freight practices needs to end.  As these regional coalitions now monitor the goods movement system, we need to make sure these interests have a seat at the table in determining how development occurs in the freight system and how to mitigate its impacts (whether environmental or economic).  We should aspire to have a freight system that does not stomp on certain communities to provide products that are pennies cheaper to others. 

A lot of technology exists to clean up the diesel pollution spewed by the freight system (e.g. cleaner trucks, cleaner fuels for ships, etc.), and we are on the cusp of developing some other technologies that will take us even further in creating a better freight system (e.g. electrified container movement systems).  Bringing our freight system into the 21st century is not an easy task because there are many frantically clinging onto the old, inequitable system.  However, I hope that in the next decade, we can achieve the ultimate goal articulated at the end of Professor Matsuoka's article -- "good jobs and clean air."