Designing Cities for Equity and Change

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The way cities are designed reflects intentional decisions, which can lead to the creation of unjust systems. This highlights the need for a conscious effort to foster equity and eliminate systemic inequalities. There is existing capital and technology that, if leveraged correctly, can transform urban environments into inclusive spaces devoid of disparities. Personal experiences of returning to diverse communities emphasize the importance of being involved in local issues despite existing challenges like inadequate infrastructure and rising housing costs. Engaging with and advocating for improvements can lead to positive changes, facilitating a more equitable urban landscape.

What do communities on the social, economic and environmental margins have in common? For one thing, they tend to be on the east sides of cities. In this short talk about a surprising insight, anthropologist and venture capitalist Stephen DeBerry explains how both environmental and man-made factors have led to disparity by design in cities from East Palo Alto, California to East Jerusalem and beyond — and suggests some elegant solutions to fix it.