In Pursuit of Equitable Development: Lessons from Washington, Detroit, and Boston

Equitable development, a relatively new concept in planning and community development, aims to help low-income neighborhoods and communities of color become places that provide economic opportunities, affordable living, and cultural expression for all residents. It is built on the principle that current residents will play a central role in shaping the projects, programs, and policies that affect them and their community. 

However lofty its goals, achieving equitable development is complicated and challenging, particularly in this time of social and economic turmoil. In this half-day virtual symposium, leading practitioners and scholars from three cities, Washington, DC, Detroit, and Boston, will explore efforts to bring equitable development to their communities and outline how they are responding to current challenges. The presentations and discussions will help students, scholars, community leaders, public officials, and others identify innovative strategies and successful approaches to advancing social justice in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #EquitableDevelopment. 

Symposium Agenda (pdf)

Virtual Poster Session

During the breaks and after the symposium, please join us in Remo (a separate online platform where attendees can have informal, virtual conversations) for a Virtual Poster Session with students who have done recent work on affordable housing, community development, or other topics related to equitable development.

Each student presenter will be assigned a table in Remo, and attendees are encouraged to circulate to the various tables and chat with students about their work. 

Video from the event

Welcome & Panel 1:
11th Street Bridge Park Equitable Development Plan, Washington, DC

Panel 2: Detroit Strategic Neighborhood Initiative 

Panel 3: Bartlett Station and the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan (Boston)

Panel 4: Lessons and Challenges in Equitable Development Planning