A new study by PolicyLink and the University of Southern California's Program for Environmental and Regional Equity showed that U.S. GDP would expand by $2.1 trillion if racial minorities had equal access to opportunities within the job market.
Janie Boschma of the National Journal discusses the findings of a new report, "The Equity Solution," co-authored by PolicyLink and the University of Southern California. The report examines 150 major metropolitan areas within 50 states, each potentially gaining millions in additional annual revenue if residents of color were on equal footing as white residents in terms of average wages. The report also discusses each metropolitan area’s "root cause of racial inequality—how much of the income gap is attributable to a disparity in wages and how much to unemployment and underemployment.
For example, inequality in Santa Barbara, Calif., is mostly driven by a disparity in wages and could be addressed by raising wages or introducing more better-paying jobs. On the other side of the spectrum is Flint, Mich., where inequality is entirely caused by disparities in employment."
To alleviate these often expensive and deep-rooted social issues, the report’s authors "recommend several lower-cost legislative solutions, such as removing questions about criminal history on job applications, as well as enacting comprehensive immigration reform. But they acknowledge that more costly, high-return investments in public education and job training, as well as enforcement of civil-rights laws, would be necessary in order to make real progress in closing the racial income gap."
To inform individuals on data within their city and state, PolicyLink has also released their online visualization tool, the National Equity Atlas. In addition to providing average citizens knowledge on racial inequality in their home, PolicyLink hopes it will inspire action from government and community leaders.
FULL STORY: Eliminating Racial Income Gaps Would Boost GDP By $2.1 Trillion
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.