Richard Reeves explains the factors that limit or assist social mobility for people born into the lowest economic quintile in American society.
Richard V. Reeves of the Brookings Institution sums up some of his recent findings in a short Youtube video titled "Is America Dreaming?: Understanding Social Mobility," published yesterday. Using Lego blocks and figures, he demonstrates some of the qualities and factors that inhibit or help social mobility, and discusses how these relate to inequality and opportunity.
Reeves explains how American society is top-heavy in terms of economic wealth, the bottom quintile receive five percent of the money while the top quintile receives 52 percent. To understand American economic fairness, which Reeve defines as an individual's ability to advance from the bottom quintile, Reeves analyzes mobility for specific groups in the lower quintile's population: black Americans, white Americans, unmarried parents, married parents, high school dropouts, and college graduates.
Hat tip to Robert Puentes for sharing the video.
FULL STORY: Is America Dreaming?: Understanding Social Mobility
Walkable Neighborhoods Set the Stage for Upward Mobility, Study Says
New research out of the University of Virginia makes the case for walkable neighborhoods as incubators of economic mobility.
Report: Which American Cities Are the Most Unequal
According to Brookings, this research is intended to inform local debates over the minimum wage. Drawing on Census data, the report finds that astronomical income gains are still concentrated among the biggest cities.
The Neighborhood Effect: How Place Impacts Upward Mobility
A new blog post from Jonathan Rothwell discusses the impact of neighborhoods on upward mobility.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont