Planning Commits to Change

From the Desk of APA's Editor in Chief

By Meghan Stromberg

Like many others, the past few weeks have forced me to confront a harsh truth: our country remains firmly rooted in racism. That is reflected in all sorts of ways, not the least of which is the built environment.

Meghan Stromberg is the editor in chief of APA and Planning magazine. You can reach her at mstromberg@planning.org.

From the history of redlining, racial covenants, and urban renewal to their present-day legacies, planning policies and practices have contributed to systemic racism. The recent killings of Black Americans like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and so many others, along with the disparate impacts of COVID-19, are the heartbreaking results of this country's racist heritage.

Personally, I have been reckoning with the fact that I, as a white woman, navigate life mostly as I choose, free from the threat of racialized violence, with good health and health care, a great job (and the public and private schools that set me up for it), healthy children, and myriad other benefits simply because I am white — all without ever having to think about racism or acknowledge the systems that maintain these privileges.

As this profession comes to grips with its past and works to rectify these injustices, Planning magazine has its own charge. APA believes that Black lives matter. As we stand with the Black community, we are committed to the learning, listening, and action it will take to help dismantle the racism that pervades our communities.

"While Planning's storytelling has for some time been driven by the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, an unspoken philosophy is not enough."
—Meghan Stromberg

So what does that mean for you, our readers? APA is incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion principles into everything we do. And while Planning's storytelling has for some time been driven by these values, an unspoken philosophy is not enough; we must be deliberate, transparent, and purposeful. To achieve that, we commit to change in three key areas:

CONTENT: We will be direct and unflinching about racism in the profession and its practice. Planning will provide platforms to the people and actions working to create change, particularly Black planners and community leaders who are impacting the field. And because systemic racism permeates the profession and built environment, our stories will consider the racial equity implications of the projects and policies they cover.

CONTRIBUTORS: We will work with more sources, writers, photographers, and illustrators who are people of color. This magazine is produced by a five-person team of cisgender white women, but most of our content is created by freelancers and planning professionals. To produce content that considers and represents everyone, we must diversify our contributor pool. We will start by taking stock of our contributors. We will also partner with population-based APA divisions and interest groups for content development.

STAFF: We will educate ourselves as individuals and as a team. As editors, we recognize the immense power of language and the critical role it plays in reinforcing systemic racism, discrimination, and exclusion. We will create, use, and share across APA an EDI style guide to set standards for inclusive, people-first language, particularly when it comes to terms describing identity. (We think a good place to start is Conscious Style Guide.)

We're also asking you to do some work: Hold us accountable. Tell us when we miss the mark. We'll listen. Because ultimately, this magazine belongs to you, our readers. It's a resource for your practice, a celebration of your work, and a record of your profession, flaws and all.

The diversity of APA's membership is its strongest asset. Planning pledges to do better in reflecting that as we all plan for a more just, equitable, and resilient future.