Planning directors recognize racism in their declaration

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Nearly two dozen city planning directors across the country issued a joint statement last week recognizing the role their departments have played in contributing to systemic racism and segregation.

The declaration, which invited other town planning directors to sign, also outlined a series of commitments aimed at creating more equitable inclusive communities, such as the diversification of town planning services, the fight against displacement resulting from development. and the promotion of housing choice and economically diverse neighborhoods.

The 21 letters signatories to date include Anita Laremont, the new chairperson of the New York City Planning Commission, Los Angeles City Planning Director Vince Bertoni and San Francisco Planning Director Rich Hill .

I realized we were living history on a daily basis, a period in 30 years that everyone would look back on, said Eleanor Sharpe, executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, who signed the letter, to the publication of urban affairs NextCity. What role do we have [as planning directors] want to play in history? Do we just want to sit down and be quiet?

About 30 planning directors meet in Cambridge, Massachusetts each fall to network and discuss the profession. Last year’s virtual meeting was particularly intense, NextCity reported, with discussions centered on the racial inequalities highlighted by the pandemic, its economic fallout and the protests that followed the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, among others.

The directors began to draft the statement as a result of this meeting. Its signatories wanted to highlight the role that planning directors themselves have played in obscuring the public’s perception of their departments’ guilt in maintaining racial inequalities, the publication reported.

Sharpe invited Blackspace, a collective of black planners, architects, artists and designers formed in 2015 with the goal of advancing racial equity, to help train its staff, NextCity reported.

Our biggest takeaway was that we wanted to build trust with community members, Sharpe told the post. It’s so eroded, but why [community members] trust us considering the history.

The letter comes two years after the board of directors of the American Planning Associations ratified the Planning for Equity Policy Guidebook, which includes recommendations for planners to promote more equitable policies.

These conversations can be very difficult with suburban cities, Emily Liu, director of metro planning and design services for Louisville, Kentucky, told the publication. But they have younger residents who are eager to do something about it.

[NextCity] Cordilia James

Contact Cordilia James

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