A New Guide to Black Voices on the City

Introducing a new interactive resource that presents the contributions of the Black community to a growing understanding of cities and the built environment.

1 minute read

September 24, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Black Lives Matter

a katz / Shutterstock

The Black Voices on the City (BVOTC) resource guide has launched online, with a call for "everyone with an interest in tackling anti-Blackness within urban planning to collaborate with us and critique our work."

BVOTC's repository of urban-themed black perspectives is "100% crowdsourced," according to the About page, and the creators of the site make it easy to add resources to the guide.

The guide features the contributions of Black planners, scholars, artists, writers, organizers and practitioners from a variety of fields that are concerned with the process of organizing space and place in the urban environment. The work represented in the BVOTC guide includes traditional planning preoccupations, interdisciplinary fields, a range of critical approaches and novel methodologies, and resources in a variety of mediums. 

The BVOTC resource guide works by presenting a number of search facets to choose from (e.g., themes, media type, and year of publication) to populate a long list of resources. Just a quick glance reveals the size and scope of the database, promising much fruitful hunting.

Justin Garrett Moore shared the news about the BVOTC resource guide on Twitter, and Black Voices on the City is also now on Twitter.

Thursday, September 24, 2020 in Black Voices on the City

Red on white 'Room for Rent, Inquire Inside' sign

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living

Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

May 24, 2023 - The Atlantic

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

New York MTA subway station

Off-Peak is the New On-Peak

Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.

May 19, 2023 - Curbed

REndering of two-story white supportive housing building converted from a former hmotel

Orange County Motel Converted to Supportive Housing

The renovated building offers 57 housing units and supportive services to people formerly experiencing homelessness.

1 hour ago - The Orange County Register

View of Colorado River from top of Hoover Dam with concrete column on left

The New Colorado River Deal: An Explainer

According to one analyst, the agreement approved by the states doesn’t go nearly far enough to protect the river in the long term.

3 hours ago - The Land Desk

View of cars stuck in gridlocked traffic with traffic lights in background

Research Indicates the Large Potential Benefits of Parking Cash-Out Laws

‘Free’ employee increases driving. Parking cash-out laws reward commuters who use climate-friendly modes, which increases fairness and reduces traffic problems.

5 hours ago - An Assessment of the Expected Impacts of City-Level Parking Cash-Out and Commuter Benefits Ordinances

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.