A 'transformative' grant will help a University of Minnesota think tank foster conversations to address structural housing inequality in Minneapolis.
The University of Minnesota has received a $615,000 grant to study potential solutions to housing inequality, according to a press release from the university libraries. "This transformational funding will allow the Mapping Prejudice team to build collaborations that can advance racial justice in Minnesota" and help to redress the negative impacts of housing discrimination.
The grant, awarded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will fund a think tank that aims to "nurture conversations — with the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) at the center — around local efforts to dismantle structural racism" and support research by Mapping Prejudice, a project that analyzes and helps the public understand the "sordid legacies of racial covenants" in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
"Even after these racial covenants were made illegal under federal and state law, they continued to influence housing patterns and intergenerational wealth — or the lack of it." Thanks to its in-depth research, the Mapping Prejudice project "serves as the backbone of the Minneapolis 2040 plan, which has been hailed around the country as a daring new approach to land-use guidelines." In May, the city eliminated parking minimums, although efforts to reform single-family zoning have garnered criticism for falling short of the goals laid out in the plan.
FULL STORY: U of M receives grant to expand efforts to address racial disparities in housing
Inclusionary Zoning Set for Council Vote in Minneapolis
The Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan has attracted so much attention for its changes to single-family zoning, the inclusionary zoning recommended by the plan has flown under the radar.
Opinion: End of Single-Family Zoning Won’t Solve Minneapolis' Housing Problems
Even as density increases in Minneapolis, affordable housing is not going to be accessible to the people who need it, according to an article by James S. Russell.
Judge Blocks Minneapolis 2040 Implementation, Citing Lack of Environmental Review
Environmentalists have used the power of the legal system to protect the car-centric status quo of single-family zoning once again, overturning a landmark planning innovation in Minneapolis.
New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition
Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.
Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City
In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.
Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes
AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.
Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.
Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms
Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.
Panel: Minneapolis Zoning Updates Should Reflect Mixed-Use Future
A discussion of post-pandemic changes in work and commuting concluded that the city’s overhaul of its zoning code should be less restrictive with land uses.
Princeton Planning
City of College Park
Houston-Galveston Area Council
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.
