In recent years, public space advocates and park conservationists have become increasingly vocal about the need for “park equity,” or the idea that all residents should have reasonably equal access to quality park space. Much of the emphasis on park equity focuses on access, funding, and the degree to which residents perceive public space to be welcoming and inclusive. Without  a critical analysis of power dynamics in the decision­-making process and how differing visions and concerns are considered, conversations about parks perpetuate and sometimes accelerate historic structural inequities in low-income communities of color. These dynamics can be observed in this case study of Philadelphia Chinatown and the Rail Park, an ambitious adaptive reuse project which recently completed its $11 million first phase of construction. This report offers guidance for the broader field of community development practitioners and planners working in gentrifying neighborhoods on this critical question: How can public spaces contribute to equitable development?

Download the report, the summary, and translated summary in Chinese.    

Over a span of less than three months, the COVID-19 pandemic has radically upended the lives and livelihoods of millions of workers and their families. But while the pain has been widespread, it has not been equally shared: workers of color and immigrant workers are being hardest hit by the loss of jobs and income, and women of color especially are disproportionately employed in the lowest-wage, essential jobs that place them at risk of contracting the virus. In order to inform equity-focused relief and recovery strategies, this report offers a comprehensive, disaggregated analysis of the labor market effects of the coronavirus in the United States and ten metro regions: Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Nashville, San Francisco, and Seattle. This analysis was produced through a partnership between the National Equity Atlas and Burning Glass Technologies. Read the report and download the underlying data.

Media: Mounting Unemployment Crisis Fuels Racial Wealth Gap (Politico), COVID-19’s Economic Fallout Is Hitting The Black Community Hard, Too (HuffPost), Here's How The Coronavirus Pandemic Changed The Way Columbus Residents Spend Money (Columbus Business First).