The design of the built environment, land use and zoning decisions, and transportation policy can all have major impacts on the economic, physical, and mental health of communities and their access to resources and opportunities. A focus on equity in planning acknowledges the historical injustices that still pervade much public policy in the U.S. and seeks to build urban systems that enhance social equity and meaningful civic engagement.
All Equity Courses
Lewis Mumford on the City 5: The City as Man's Home
In this fifth episode of the series, Mumford begins his exploration of the city during a period of rapid transformation during the Industrial Revolution, when old cities grew quickly, new cities sprang up in the countryside, and the wealthy fled to the countryside, neglecting the health and prosperity of those who stayed behind.
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
The 2011 documentary film “The Pruitt-Igoe Myth” documents the rapid rise and fall of a housing complex in St. Louis. Pruitt-Igoe became a symbol for the failure of public housing policy in the late 20th century.