Equity

Houston’s Equity Score Leaves Room for Improvement
Houston is an international city, with a diverse population and economy. Its equity indicators, however, are relatively average compared to other U.S. cities.

Fair Share Transportation Planning
Don’t tell me what you claim to value; your budget indicates what you truly value. If we value fairness and efficiency, we must reform infrastructure spending to support inclusive, affordable, healthy, and resource-efficient modes.

Expanding Access to Golf in South Los Angeles
L.A. County’s Maggie Hathaway Golf Course getting up to $15 Million from U.S. Open Community Legacy Project to expand access to the sport in South L.A.

Los Angeles County Initiates Effort to Advance Equity in Infrastructure
L.A. County Public Works has launched an initiative to center equity in all of its processes, programming, and services as it plans, designs, builds, and maintains modern infrastructure that uplifts all communities of the county.

The Limitations of ‘Reconnecting Communities’
The Biden administration has pledged to correct the damage imposed on communities by highways and infrastructure, but many projects are only committing to minor improvements, not transformative changes.

Assessing the Racial Home Valuation Gap
Research shows that homes in communities of color are consistently undervalued by, in some cases, over $1 million.

Mitigating the Environmental Footprint of Sprawl
There is still time to reverse the environmental outcomes of American suburbs. Researchers in Los Angeles, considered by many to be the poster child for U.S. sprawl, have been at work on the problem for years.

Report: Racial Gap in Traffic Deaths Persists
Communities of color have significantly higher rates of traffic fatalities, according to federal research.

Study: Renters, Women, Minorities Underrepresented in Land Use Decisions
The membership of decisionmaking bodies such as planning commissions rarely reflects the socioeconomic, gender, and racial characteristics of the local community.

Study: Inequity Surfaces During Water Crises
As the world’s water supply becomes more threatened, the wealthiest people are exacerbating the crisis through non-essential uses while the poor are the first to lose access to water.

‘Arrested Mobility’: How Transportation-Related Laws Impact Black Americans
A far-reaching new study highlights the disproportionate effect of biking and walking laws on the mobility of Black Americans.

APA Releases ‘Equity in Zoning’ Guide
The guide provides a framework for assessing and improving equity in housing policy.

Cleveland: The Nation’s Most Equitably Walkable City
A new study assesses which cities have the broadest access to walkable neighborhoods.

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Madison Adopts ‘Complete Green Streets’ Plan
The new document consolidates the city’s Complete Streets projects with its sustainability plan, providing a flexible framework for comprehensive actions that focus on safety, sustainability, and equity.

Top Websites for Urban Planning - 2022
Every year, Planetizen collects the websites breaking new digital ground in the world of planning and related fields.

Mapping Environmental Justice to Census Tracts
The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, version 1.0, is now available on the internet.

Los Angeles County Launches Environmental Justice Department
The new department will develop plans for addressing the impacts of air and water pollution, extreme heat, and climate change on vulnerable communities.

Tracking Boston’s Emissions Reduction Progress
The Boston Foundation published the “Inaugural Boston Climate Progress Report” earlier this month. Other U.S. cities should follow their lead.

‘Reconnecting Communities’ Could Fund Highway Expansions
Applications to the program reveal a pattern of state agencies requesting funds for projects that perpetuate car-centric development with only nominal equity components.
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