Black Urban Planner's Seven Objectives for the Next Ten Years

These seven objectives by no means represent all Black planner’s objectives. But they do, arguably, reach the general interest of some leading African-American/Black planning practitioners and academics.

The Process

This initiative started as a response to the continuous deaths of Black men and women by law enforcement officers with impunity coupled by a weak response from the planning profession. I worked with a few other outspoken planning professionals to collectively come up with our own goals that we all can advocate and work towards in our own capacities to help undue the historic wrongs that were conceived by the Planning profession which perpetuates social justice disparities in our communities today.

I initially approached a group of 3 planners, Gisla Augustin, Kristen Jeffers, and Jermaine Ruffin to help explore a list of demands for Black Planners. We first developed a list of 10 comprehensive demands. The list of demands were then introduced to Desiree Powell’s Blck Spces’s Black Urban Planner’s Discussion via zoom. The virtual space for Black Planners was used to catalyze a broader discussion about the initial demands which became objectives. Desiree was able to pull and engage approximately 50 planner attendees with various backgrounds per each meeting. There is no doubt that Desiree’s efforts were an integral part of the process.

Through a series of conversations with various Black planners, including those mentioned in the acknowledgement section, a consensus was met where a list of notable and obtainable objectives, that we all can work towards, was preferred, as opposed to “demanding” or “asking” another entity to provide change for us and our community. This idea falls into the same principle of what blackandurban was found on: Sharing Solutions to Improve Our Spaces.

Acknowledgements

Desiree Powell, Blck Spces, Founder

Gisla Augustin , Gigi the Planner, Founder

Jermaine Ruffin. The Streets Are Planning, Founder

Fabiola Alikpokou, Beyond Urban Planning, Founder

Kristen Jeffers, The Black Urbanist, Founder

Dru Maynus, Urban Planning Life, Founder

Coretta Mondesir, Urban Money Project, Founder

Brittany Drakeford, PhD Student

Jonathan Bush, Urban Planner and Designer

Jalyn Porchay, Land Use Planner

Implementable Equity Strategies in Planning

Research shows that substandard infrastructure and materials are used in Black/African-American communities compared to white communities.

True equitable practices would ensure the same use of techniques regardless of neighborhood demographics or political boundaries.

Actively seek Engagement between Black Academics and Black Planning Practitioners

Academics and planning practitioners have the opportunity to create a thorough nexus. Our planning goals can better off be reached by creating an effective pipeline between research pertaining to Black communities and implementing projects that provide fact-based solutions.

Implement a National Ambassador/Mentorship Program

Aimed to inform BIPOC and be intentional about recruitment to the Planning profession.

Introduced by Jermaine Ruffin, Founder of The Streets Are Planning, this objective is seen as one of the most tangible within a 10 year period. It can serve as an effective way to retain Black planners in the profession.

Advocate for Social Justice and Physical Neighborhood Changes

Encourage Black/African/American Heritage Commissions in historically Black communities to influence land use and transportation decisions.

Dru Maynus, Founder of Urban Planning Life, first introduced the idea of creating a type of heritage board in Black neighborhoods that would serve as a governing body to have authority over Black cultural assets and infrastructure that affects residents and businesses under its influence. This would give control to Black residents in predominately Black neighborhoods and allow them to create their own solutions to resolve failed urban planning policies that left Black neighborhoods behind.

Advocate for local city councils to pass sweeping reforms to repair generations of discriminatory practices that has affected Black communities.

Asheville, NC’s City Council passed a resolution to provide reparations to its Black residents. The resolution is a form of restitution to correct the wrongs of racist urban planning policies and systemic racist government policies that have prohibit Black people from accumulating wealth while inhibiting their white counterparts to accumulate generational wealth.

The Town of Asheville, NC shall be used as a precedent for future bills of restitution to the American slave trade.

Encourage Black Urban Studies in Higher Education Planning Programs

Advocate for accredited colleges to include required courses focused on Black/ African-American neighborhoods and developmental patterns cities within continental Africa.

The following curricula should be a mandated throughout accredited Planning schools:

1. Coursework about African-American neighborhoods within the United States and the government’s role to perpetuate contemporary adverse physical and socio-economical neighborhood conditions due to historic and contemporary policies related to housing, transportation, zoning, gentrification and other exclusionary policies and practices. 

   For example, the curricula around this topic should be conducive to facillitate student discussions about development projects and/or plans that have created disparate impact in African-American communities, i.e. Pruitt-Igoe Apartments in St. Louis, MO and Black Wall Street/Greenwood community in Tulsa, OK.

2. The Color of Law by Richard Rothenstein should be a mandatory read.

3. African cities, their historic development patterns, and their successes and shortfalls due to western principles and native practices.

4. Other electives should take a look at racial injustice, and the social-economic and psychological impacts of racism within the built environment. 

Include prominent Black Urbanists of Historical and contemporary significance at accredited planning schools. The curricula should/must consider the following notable black planners, sociologists, and activists, as listed below from Gisla Augustin, Founder of Gigi the Planner’s recommended list:

• Ethel Lawrence, considered the Rosa Parks for affordable housing with the historic Mt. Laurel Case. 

• W.E.B. Du Bois, well renowned sociologist who studied the effects of racism on African-Americans in Philadelphia, PA.

• Benjamin Banneker

• James Baldwin

• Charles Claybourn Allen

• Reginald Griffith

• Arthur Campbell

• Harvey Gantt

• Michelle Obama

• Samuel [James] Cullers

• Hilanius L. Phillips

• Mitchell Silver 

• Curtis E. Green

• Herman Kobe

• Glady West

• W.E.B. DuBois

• Horace Clayton Jr. / St. Claire Drake

• John Hope Franklin

• Gordon Parks

• Dorothy Mae Richardson

• Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts

• William Julius Wilson

• Geoffrey Canada

• Mary Pattillo

Urbanists - Academia

• Julian Agyeman

• Robert Bullard

• Sheila Foster

• Toni Griffin

• Michael Lens

• Mary Pattillo

• June Manning Thomas

• William Julius Wilson

• Dr. Destiny Thomas

Urbanists - Community Activists

http://cornersideyard.blogspot.com/2017/11/black-urbanists-part-2-community.html 

• Christopher Alston

• Erma Henderson

• Mel King

• Teka Lark Lo

• Fannie Lewis

• Ayesha McGowan

• DeRay Mckesson

• Liz Ogbu

• Olatunji Oboi Reed

• Najari Smith

• Derrick Braziel, William Thomas, III and Allen Woods

Urbanists - Local Government Management

http://cornersideyard.blogspot.com/2017/11/black-urbanists-part-3-local-government.html  

1. Keith Benjamin

2. Kelley Britt

3. Maurice Cox

4. Kimberly Driggins

5. Aaron Foley

6. Majestic Lane

7. Justin Garrett Moore

8. Mitchel Silver

9. John Watson

Prioritize Healthy Cities

Prioritize healthy food equality, and mitigate food deserts. Utilize urban informatics to correlate health data with land use and development patterns, Integrate biophilic design to maintain a good physical and mental health.

Promote inclusive design that encourage physical activity for all users to mitigate cardiovascular and asthmatic health disparities.

Mitigate toxic air, noise nuisances, and urban heat islands while increasing fresh water and waterfront access.

This objective was introduced by Jonathan Bush, planner and urban designer. These are some objectives that should be prioritized to reverse the devastating health disparities in African-American/Black communities set forth by racist housing and transportation policies from the United State’s Federal Housing Authority and Federal Highway Administrations.

In Architecture, form is known to follow function, but so to in planning, shall our health be the motivating objective to create beautiful and sustainable neighborhoods for African-Americans to live, work and play.

Uplift, Support, and Engage with BIPOC Organizations

Black businesses generate revenue to stabilize black communities' tax-base. BIPOC social entrepreneurs focused on helping communities of color should be given preferential treatment  to help resolve the problems within our communities.

There are quite a few BIPOC organizations advocating for social and environmental change. It's imperative that we connect, collaborate, engage and foster relationships with one another.

Beyond the Count: Why is the U.S. Census a Big Deal?

Photo by Christopher Nicholas

Happy U.S. Census Year! That’s Right Folks, it is a Census Year!

And this year is more important than ever. Over $675 billion in federal funds, grants, and support to help communities is on the line. Historically, African-American households have always been under-counted in the decennial census and as a result, it has led to disadvantages for African-American families and communities. However, we have the opportunity to make this year’s census different, as there is so much on the line.

What is the U.S Census?

The census is widely known to determine the demographic makeup of the country every ten years. But, according to the U.S Census Bureau the constitutional basis to conduct the census is to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives. Apportionment is the process of dividing the 435 memberships, or seats, in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states. The census is also used to distribute federal funds for social service programs, public works and other vital programs. The amount of funding per congressional district depends on the U.S Census Bureau’s official population count.

Innovation

The impact of this year’s U.S. Census is particularly important due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The global pandemic is forcing the U.S Census Bureau to be innovative and use non-conventional methods to obtain an accurate population count. In previous Census counts, the Bureau would mail leaflets and hire seasonal workers to canvass entire neighborhoods to conduct door-to-door counts. Now, the Census Bureau has added an online response feature to reach millions of Americans that will not get a mail-in form or a door-to-door count, due to the COVID-19 epidemic. 

The impact of an online response is that 90 percent of Americans, (over 312 million) use the Internet in comparison to 2010, where only 72 percent of the population (222 million) used the Internet. In a digital age, where information and access is powerful, the opportunity to make an impact is easier. This is because segments of the population that never had the ability to make their voice count, now have an opportunity to do so with the emphasis on online responses. Internet usage is at an all-time high for African-Americans (85 percent). We have a real chance of making an impact in our communities as a result of the expanding access of the U.S. Census to provide funding for education, infrastructure, public transportation, housing assistance, historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), Medicare, health care, minority-owned businesses. Mobilizing our power online and turning to impact funding for our communities.

Impact

Infrastructure in the United States is graded a D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Infrastructure in the African-American community is at an F grade due to racial segregation, under-investment and under-development of infrastructure. Hurricane Katrina in 2006 was a perfect example of how climate change exacerbates problems in neighborhoods with already poor infrastructure. Sub-standard affordable housing units in low-income communities were at greater risk from severe storms, and more prone to flooding than those in wealthier neighborhoods. Adequate infrastructure and preparation could have resulted in saving more lives. That is why it is important to fill out the U.S. Census to pressure public officials to care about your community and what it needs.

Challenge

There are a few challenges. In 2013, a Pew Research Center survey showed that 34 percent of those who did not use the internet felt it was not relevant to their ives, while 32 percent of non-users said it was too difficult to use, (some believed they were too old to learn), and 19 percent noted cost was a factor, as some people could not afford internet service or owning a computer. In addition, social distancing creates additional challenges for those who rely on libraries, community centers and other public facilities. These community resource centers, which normally provide internet access, are now closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

To overcome these challenges, I recommend that we rely on those who are most familiar with the internet - particularly the youth - to help others fill out the census. Also, it is important to note that the census survey can be taken on a mobile device.  

How Can I Take the Census?

The U.S. Census Bureau’s website has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to complete the 2020 Census online. Please review the YouTube video below:  

Please review the U.S. Census Bureau website for more information.

The census is your constitutional right, please fill out the 2020 U.S Census Survey here to better your communities.

Second Order Effects (COVID-19)

Photo by Tess via Unsplash

As the global pandemic rages, behavioural scientists around the world are engaged in their best thinking to design nudges, boosts and outright mandates that encourage people to practice social distancing, stay home and practice sensible hygiene—particularly washing hands. Likewise, governments around the world are taking increasingly stronger measures to ensure compliance with measures that will keep people safe, flatten the curve and reduce the mortality rates associated with the pandemic.

Yet, even as we deal with the emerging issues of ensuring compliance to flatten the curve, we should also consider and prepare for the potential consequences and second order effects both of the pandemic itself and of our actions in creating a ‘new normal’. Right now, we need mass compliance to save lives, but what happens after the pandemic?

I think there may be a few second and third order effects across a few domains. (Note I don’t offer any hypotheses on the impact of pandemic on the economy. Check out Ray Dalio’s work and Joe Davis at Vanguard for insights.) On one hand, there may be a return to normal—the way things were before the pandemic, mass crowding, a fuzzy sense of the lines around government reach and individual rights in democracies, a preference for urban environments because of their correlation with higher economic opportunity, and so on. On the other, it is likely we’ll see some impact to what becomes normal in terms of:

1. Government expectations and reach

In the 4½ weeks since Italy detected the first signs of the outbreak, the country has lost more than 8,000 people to the virus. The Italian government locked down the country within days. In Australia, after residents flouted social distancing rules, the government instituted a strong ban on public gatherings. In many ways the pandemic is a global emergency similar to warlike crisis. But in thinking about life after the pandemic, questions arise: will governments express a preference for this kind of swift paternalistic hold on citizens which, while valid and much needed now, could be called upon again in the future when there may be an inkling or cause for concern, giving the excuse of moving quickly to avoid a covid-like situation before evidence support such moves? Do democracies, particularly, have enough checks and balances at all government levels to ensure government reach returns to normal post-pandemic?

Photo from Spense via Unsplash

2. Work preferences and employee expectations of employers

As citizens and employees, we’re learning and redefining what it means to be an essential employee—we’re starting to see how grocery store attendants, delivery persons and others play vital roles in the economy similar to healthcare professionals. At the same time, we’re observing the efficiency benefits as well as the challenges of working from home. Finally, we’re becoming privy to the economic instability inherent in many of the services we’ve taken for granted—coffee shops, restaurants, barbers, cleaners, and so on. We’re constantly being told to be financially prepared for emergencies, but coming out of this emergency, we’ll learn to ask questions of our employers (and landlords) about their economic stability and how prepared they are for emergencies. Because their actions directly influence our lives. 

3. Hygiene and personal space

It is likely coming out of this pandemic, we’ll institute social norms around distancing—this may have 3rd order effects on transportation. Will we see an increase in what’s considered personal space, and a reluctance to overcrowd public transportation even during peak hours?

We certainly will (or should) see an increase in basic hand washing. The provision of water to rural communities has been top of mind for UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) team which works in over 100 countries worldwide to improve water and sanitation services, as well as basic hygiene practices. Last year, UNICEF’s efforts provided nearly 14 million people with clean water and over 11 million with basic toilets. Does clean and sanitary water become even more of a priority for governments? And more importantly, will we see consistent and rigorous hand-washing become the norm?

Photo from Jordan Hopkins via Unsplash

4. Urban dispersal and movement preferences

While recent years have seen a mass exodus out of big cities such as New York, international migration often stabilises that outflow. As people consider where they want to live moving forward, we may see a tendency towards rural more spread out areas, and for those who still need to enjoy the economic and social advantages of living in a big city—a preference for neighbourhoods in suburbs closer to cities. There’s a remote chance that this may lead to a levelling of housing prices across big cities over the next few years, but it’s more likely that we’ll see some increase in housing prices in suburbs as those areas become more desirable.

Photo by Matteo Catanese via Unsplash

5. Global migration

As the pandemic rages, at least 27 countries on every continent have closed their borders to certain foreign nationals. While all of these countries will at some point re-open their borders, many will maintain restrictions against certain nationals. I don’t expect there will be a correlation between incidence of disease and these restrictions. Weak passports could become weaker.

6. Consumption patterns

As stated above, we’ve all heard and been told to save for a ‘rainy’ day or an ‘emergency bucket.’ Workers who now have unsteady sources of income are experiencing firsthand the need for those buckets. But workers who are guaranteed income stability or are in a financially healthy position not only need to consider their consumption but also will start to see their larger role in keeping the economy going—in ensuring the small businesses around them thrive. Our perception of our role as consumers will likely start to be expanded to include our responsibility for the small businesses around us. We’ll hopefully see savings rates increase after the pandemic, yet this may be counterbalanced with our sudden understanding of how our local economy operates.

The above are my wild hypotheses. I’m reading more on the 1918 Pandemic and the aftereffects of the Great Depression to understand how people emerge from abnormal times, and what it does to decision-making at a micro-level. If you’ve got any resources, please share them with me: etinosa@etinosaa.com. I’m also interested in the hypotheses of other behavioural scientists, economists and everyone else out there. Of course, stay safe (indoors), wash your hands often and rigorously, and check in (digitally) on the people around you.

Etinosa Agbonlahor is a behavioural economist. Etinosa is a personal finance enthusiast, writer, and fellow at the Royal Society of Arts. We encourage you to view more of her work at etinosaa.com.

Sacred Black Spaces: Placemaking Through a Mobile Barbershop

En Root Mobile Barbershop, “It’s More Than Just A Haircut” - Oklahoma City, OK - Courtesy of Vanessa Morrison

The Black Man’s Sanctuary

While a boy’s first professional haircut is one of the many rites of passage he will experience throughout his lifetime, Black barbershops are much more than just places to get fades and edge-ups. Since the fruition of these spaces pre-antebellum period, Black barbershops have been one of the few safe and sustainable businesses that Blacks could own and gather  in for culture and community. Coined “the Black man’s sanctuary” by distinguished public figures such as Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison, barbershops serve as safe havens and stages for Black public life while fostering fellowship, connection, and much more on top of getting fresh.

The Black owned barbershop tells an important part of American history in the context of Black culture, entrepreneurship, and public space; and has long been due for more attention from urban planning academics and professionals. The Black barbershop organically congregates individuals and families in an enriching environment where people can intimately connect and have community. Even President Barack Obama was known for making visits to Black barbershops and beauty salons to strategically attract the Black vote. Other politicians have also utilized this culturally specific strategy knowing that when you’re in the Black barbershop you’re in the heart of the Black community.

Infrastructure Challenges

While these spaces serve as critical cultural assets in their respective communities, many of them can be difficult for some to access. In my community (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), these shops oftentimes exist within an urban fabric of disinvestment, blight, and dated infrastructure such as broken sidewalks, awkwardly and dangerously placed public transit stops, and more. The elderly, physically challenged, and public transit dependent are disproportionately faced with these obstacles and barriers when orienting their way to the barbershop. These barriers not only make it challenging to access these professional services, but can isolate people from the cultural connections that take place specifically in these spaces.

The pictures below displays the physical challenges pedestrians must endure for basic services; from left-right, they include: walkways with major tripping hazards and flooding; bus stops with no ADA accommodations, pedestrian sidewalk, or basic amenities; and poor catch basin drainage facilities making it impossible for pedestrians to cross.

“The Black owned barbershop tells an important part of American history in context of Black culture, entrepreneurship, and public spaces; and has long been due for more attention from urban planning academics and professionals.”

— Vanessa Morrison

The beginning of a journey for a mobile barbershop.

The final product of En Root Mobile Barbershop with customers.

Place-Making

My once research project and now business, En Root Mobile Barbershop Company, explores place-making in Black barbershop spaces through the operation of a mobile, ADA accessible, 3-chair barbershop. The mission of En Root is to not only eliminate obstacles and barriers by bringing professional barbering services to neighborhoods, but to also to extend the physical space and culture of the barbershop to communities.

It’s More Than Just A Haircut

After quickly observing in my research that barbershop patrons go to these spaces for much more than just a haircut, using Photovoice and asset mapping research methodologies I critically explored these lived experiences further to further understand what people’s journeys were like when trying to access these spaces.  My now-fiancé was building out En Root during my studies and we were able to reference my findings to utilize En Root to its best and highest use in specific community spaces.

Breaking Barriers

My research revealed that because many of the Black barbershops in my community exist within forgotten areas of the city, that many people physically struggled getting to the barbershop. Participants I interviewed did as much as catch three buses and walked a quarter of a mile, rode their bike through stray dog-ridden neighborhoods, and ran across high speed streets with no crosswalk. These barriers collectively leave some patrons with little to no accessibility to these spaces, particularly for those who live in more rural areas. However, although the journey to the shop was cumbersome for most it was worth it to have access to this space and experience on a regular basis; further speaking volumes to the importance of these spaces.

Needs Assessment - Site Analysis

With these findings we developed a weekly parking model to reach different areas of our city that lacked a Black barbershop space. We solidified four different locations with property owners and collaborated with each location to compliment their business/community outreach efforts. One of our parking locations was at a “second chance” school where adults could go to earn their GED, special certifications, learn how to read, and more. Our barbers spoke with their students about the importance of professionalism and grooming, and created a space on their site where staff and students could have a community space outside of the classroom. Another parking location was at an apartment complex where we gave current and prospective residents discounted rates on services to incentivize their interest.

In our first five months we conducted 1,200 appointments with 219 new clients and traveled over 4,500 miles to reach these communities, not including special and charitable events we collaborated on such as a teen conference for foster youth, bringing the shop a foster group home and a homeless day shelter on a recurring basis, and various back to school events.

The Beauty of Black Barbershops

While there isn’t much research or documented history of Black barbershop spaces, the significance and contributions these spaces have and continue to bring to communities is more than evident. Urban planning professionals and academics are missing an opportunity when they are not tapping into these spaces as a means of community engagement, trust-building, and guidance in their efforts to make cities more inclusive for all. Additionally, with many everyday services going mobile, such as: restaurants, boutiques, pet grooming, and more, Black barbershops are faced with a unique opportunity to adapt their services to their clients’ convenience needs while sharing the culture with the rest of the community.

For More Information, please visit En Root Mobile Barbershop’s website: www.enrootokc.com

IG: @enrooteokc

All photos are courtesy of Vanessa Morrison.