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
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.
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
What makes good public spaces work, and why are some public spaces underused? Over the course of this film, William Whyte details insights into seven basic factors of successful public spaces: suitable space, interaction with the street, the sun, food, water, trees, and, finally, a term Whyte calls triangulation, or the ability of a public space to bring people together.