Neighborhood Empowerment for Equity and Inclusion Through Planning
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Certification Maintenance
Eq | 1
Learning Outcomes
- Learn how to advocate for improved capacity and meaningful, shared decision making in planning with communities that have experienced discrimination.
- Recognize how to adapt and respond sincerely in the event of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and mistrust.
- Apply the Community Engagement and Empowerment section of APA's Planning for Equity Policy Guide and the International Association for Public Participation's values to planning projects with diverse stakeholders.
More Course Details
Historically, neighborhood planning has poorly served communities of color and low-income communities. Years of discrimination, broken promises, poor and overly technical communication, and inadequate partnership undermine the already monumental task of creating more inclusive engagement.
Today, planners have the opportunity — buttressed by support from community leaders — to research and understand the role of discrimination in planning processes. Understanding a neighborhood's makeup and culture helps planners tailor public engagement that builds trust and validates community voices.
Speakers highlight systematic and ethical challenges that planners faced and overcame while developing the Flagstaff Southside Community Plan and conducting other neighborhood planning. They employ principles of equity and inclusion to illustrate the importance and practice of:
- Leveraging partnerships and storytelling to address topics that are historically or currently difficult;
- Creating a safe environment for honest and open evaluation;
- Preparing public participation methods that meet people where they are;
- Keeping promises to the public; and
- Being responsive.