Regionalism, Equitable Regionalism, Equitable Development, Environmental Development, Environmental Sustainability & Smart GrowthSustainability & Smart Growth

A Briefing for Black Elected Officials Convened by A Briefing for Black Elected Officials Convened by The AAFRR & The JCPES The AAFRR & The JCPES

Sheraton Hotel New OrleansSheraton Hotel New OrleansMarch 5, 2008March 5, 2008

john a. powelljohn a. powellWilliams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties,

Moritz College of Law & Moritz College of Law & Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and

EthnicityEthnicity

Communities of Opportunity Communities of Opportunity Everyone should have Everyone should have

fair access to the fair access to the critical opportunity critical opportunity structures needed to structures needed to succeed in lifesucceed in life

Affirmatively Affirmatively connecting people to connecting people to opportunity creates opportunity creates positive, positive, transformative change transformative change in communitiesin communities

Cleveland Regionalism ReportCleveland Regionalism Report

Commissioned by the Commissioned by the Presidents’ CouncilPresidents’ Council

Funding from the Funding from the Cleveland FoundationCleveland Foundation

First major discussion on First major discussion on regionalism structured regionalism structured and led by African and led by African American and City American and City leadershipleadership

Move away from city Move away from city versusversus suburb model suburb model

Study DesignStudy Design

Goal: ID policy framework to grow regional Goal: ID policy framework to grow regional opportunity opportunity

Methods:Methods: Analyze the health of Cleveland’s African American Analyze the health of Cleveland’s African American

community compared with peer regionscommunity compared with peer regions Interview diverse leaders and stakeholders Interview diverse leaders and stakeholders Assess Cleveland’s social and historical context and Assess Cleveland’s social and historical context and

current regional initiatives current regional initiatives Review regional equity-based policies throughout the Review regional equity-based policies throughout the

nationnation

Inequities Impact EveryoneInequities Impact Everyone

Isolation from opportunity results in lost Isolation from opportunity results in lost productive and creative capacity, depriving productive and creative capacity, depriving regions the ability to compete and innovateregions the ability to compete and innovate

Inequities create artificial impediments to Inequities create artificial impediments to economic development and affordable housingeconomic development and affordable housing

Disparities drive sprawling physical growth Disparities drive sprawling physical growth without job or population growth without job or population growth

All of this can ultimately harm the quality of life All of this can ultimately harm the quality of life for all residentsfor all residents

Disparities and Regional HealthDisparities and Regional Health

Wasted Creative CapacityWasted Creative Capacity. The wasted creative . The wasted creative capacity associated with a lack of social, capacity associated with a lack of social, economic and educational opportunity drags economic and educational opportunity drags down the competitive strength of the entire down the competitive strength of the entire region region

Fragmented Economic VoiceFragmented Economic Voice. To attract . To attract investment in the global economy, regions must investment in the global economy, regions must act collectively to promote themselves, and they act collectively to promote themselves, and they must align key infrastructure and assets to be must align key infrastructure and assets to be more innovative, efficient and competitivemore innovative, efficient and competitive

Disparities and Regional HealthDisparities and Regional Health

Paying for ExclusionPaying for Exclusion. Residential segregation is . Residential segregation is fueled by exclusionary housing policies, but fueled by exclusionary housing policies, but these policies come at a price for all residentsthese policies come at a price for all residents

Inefficient Infrastructure and Government Inefficient Infrastructure and Government ServicesServices. Regions that are highly fragmented . Regions that are highly fragmented into hundreds of local governments are often into hundreds of local governments are often inefficient with respect to infrastructure and inefficient with respect to infrastructure and government services. government services.

Policy is not neutralPolicy is not neutral

Segregation and inequality was exacerbated by Segregation and inequality was exacerbated by policy decisions that advantaged the suburbs policy decisions that advantaged the suburbs and hobbled inner city communitiesand hobbled inner city communities Incentives for suburban development (highway, gas, Incentives for suburban development (highway, gas,

water, sewer, tax breaks for businesses)water, sewer, tax breaks for businesses) Disinvestment in the compact, efficient, existing Disinvestment in the compact, efficient, existing

infrastructure in urban centers infrastructure in urban centers Isolation of public and affordable housing in the urban Isolation of public and affordable housing in the urban

core, concentrating poverty where opportunities were core, concentrating poverty where opportunities were hemorrhaging hemorrhaging

Cycle of disinvestment…Cycle of disinvestment…

Lower EducationalOutcomes for Urban

School Districts

Increased Flightof Affluent

Families fromUrban Areas

Neighborhood (Housing)

Segregation

SchoolSegregation

Equitable RegionalismEquitable Regionalism

Strategies for connecting to opportunity:Strategies for connecting to opportunity: A A people-focusedpeople-focused approach that gives families approach that gives families

more choice in where to live and go to schoolmore choice in where to live and go to school An An in-place in-place strategy that seeks to bring strategy that seeks to bring

investment and resources into distressed investment and resources into distressed communitiescommunities

A A linkageslinkages approach that connects low-income approach that connects low-income neighborhoods and residents to opportunity neighborhoods and residents to opportunity through improved transportation and social or through improved transportation and social or business networking business networking

Equitable regionalism Equitable regionalism

The city’s economic future is dependent on its The city’s economic future is dependent on its most plentiful natural resource, most plentiful natural resource, human human capacity and innovationcapacity and innovation

Without addressing the Without addressing the social, racial and social, racial and interregional inequitiesinterregional inequities facing the region, the facing the region, the future of the entire region is compromised future of the entire region is compromised

Equity as a Diagnostic ToolEquity as a Diagnostic Tool

The “Miner’s Canary” The “Miner’s Canary” metaphormetaphor Disparities facing Disparities facing

communities of color communities of color are indicators of larger are indicators of larger societal challengessocietal challenges

So what about the canary…why care So what about the canary…why care about equity and inclusion?about equity and inclusion?

To thrive, regions must be competitive in the To thrive, regions must be competitive in the global economyglobal economy• Inequality is a sign of an economically & socially Inequality is a sign of an economically & socially

inefficient region, where much of the population can inefficient region, where much of the population can not meet its creative potentialnot meet its creative potential

• These disparities make the region less competitive, These disparities make the region less competitive, nationally and globallynationally and globally

Capital Market ‘Credit crunch’

Affected neighborhoods are being reduced to ‘ghost towns’

Reduced spending and retail flight

Families lose their homes, wealth and safety

Banks, police and courts saddled with foreclosures

SUBPRIME LENDING: We didn’t care about the canary...

Linked Fates…Transformative Linked Fates…Transformative ChangeChange

Our fates are linked, yet our fates have been socially Our fates are linked, yet our fates have been socially constructed as disconnected, especially through the constructed as disconnected, especially through the categories of class, race, gender, nationality, region…categories of class, race, gender, nationality, region…

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