Planning for Equity

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to identify the causes of inequities, the role that planning has had on creating and perpetuating harms, and the urgency for addressing them
• Practical actions that municipal or regional planners can take to advance equity through the planning process
• How local governments have been able to incorporate equity principles and goals into their planning processes

MORE SESSION DETAILS

Delivering more equitable outcomes requires an understanding of the causes of social and racial inequities in communities and a commitment to applying different approaches to planning practice. The Black Lives Matters movement and increasing attention on wealth inequality, health disparities, and the growing housing crisis in many regions across the country have catapulted social and racial inequities into the forefront of local government operations and planning. History has shown us that well-intended plans and resultant investments in the built environment created, worsened, or reinforced these inequities. As government planners are instrumental in creating and sustaining the social, environmental, and economic conditions in which people live, work, and play, they also have an opportunity to take actions to identify and address social inequities through the process of planning for more equitable growth and development. This interactive panel will address the contributing causes of inequities in local communities and discuss, through case studies and sharing of information and resources, strategies that planners can take to remedy past harm and plan a more equitable and resilient future. Each speaker has a wealth of knowledge and experience in community planning and equity.