Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

The Geography Of Race: A Spatial Analysis Of Free People Of Color In The City Of Charleston (1790-1861), Alexandra Ullman

All Theses

In Charleston, South Carolina, for all but one year from 1790 to 1860, the enslaved and free Black population outnumbered that of the white. Through manumission, the process of an enslaved person gaining their freedom, the free Black population grew substantially and reached a peak in South Carolina during the nineteenth century. This large community of free people of color (FPOC), shifted the social climate by upsetting the balance of white power, thus increasing racial conflict, tension, and legislation that aimed to control the movement of FPOC.

Despite FPOC comprising a significant portion of the total population of Charleston, there …

Large Landlords, Code Violations, And Eviction Filing: Evidence From Albany, Ny, Andy Kaier

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Eviction is a major contributor to cycles of urban poverty, and a growing body of research has documented eviction’s harmful effects. This study finds that landlord size and the number of code violations associated with the landlord’s portfolio both predict higher numbers of eviction filings. Using eviction filing data and newly available code violation data from Albany, NY in 2023 and 2024, this study examines landlord characteristics and their association with eviction filing. This study also examines public housing, finding that the Albany Housing Authority is the largest eviction filer in Albany in the study period. These findings are concerning …

Teacher Beliefs And Experiences Addressing Healthy Racial And Ethnic Identity Instructionally Through Social Emotional Learning, Juliana Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

Children and youth develop within an ecological context that includes family, peers, and broader social environments including school. Children’s understanding of their ethnic or racial group and the meaning they attribute to belonging in that group is also shaped by interactions in their school environment. Most research on school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs has focused on student behavioral and academic outcomes. However, as SEL spreads across U.S. K-12 schools, questions have emerged surrounding how children from diverse racial and cultural groups and unequal opportunity can benefit from universal SEL programs. Using a mixed-methods design, this study explores teachers’ understanding and …

Staying Power: The Struggle For Space And Place In Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Erin E. Lilli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation looks at how gentrification touches down, at the neighborhood and individual scale, in Crown Heights and reproduces experiences of racial inequality in home and place. Taking an historical materialist approach and drawing on residential oral histories, this study frames these reproductions of racial inequality as always-in-tension with ongoing acts of resistance from Black homeowners, renters, and long-term residents. Specifically, the research explores the conditions under which Black residents of a predominantly Afro-Caribbean neighborhood acquire and maintain—and in some cases lose—their housing and sense of place and belonging. These residents resist the varied tactics of anti-Blackness such as landlord …

Racist Or Radical? The Strange Case Of Robert Moses And The Building Of New York City's Aquatics Infrastructure, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., James H. Bemiller J.D., Jason L. Scott Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Who was Robert Moses? In this article, we want to cast a bright light on Robert Moses as a visionary urban planner, which included the comprehensive planning of the outdoor and indoor aquatic infrastructure for New York City. Second, we want to highlight some of his administration's significant accomplishments and challenges in providing aquatics opportunities for diverse populations, including people of color. Finally, we aspire to illustrate what happens when officials with power and authority in local government are permitted to operate without scrutiny and are unbeholden to a meaningful series of checks and balances. Robert Moses’ tenure as a …

Diversity Still Matters: School-Level Racial Diversity, Poverty And Performance Of New York City Public Schools, Byunghwa Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

During the last few decades, schools in New York City (NYC) have experienced great demographic changes due to the massive influx of various ethnic and racial groups. Although the race and ethnicity makeup of NYC is 42% white, 29% Hispanic or Latino, 24% Black or African American and 14% Asian, 74% of Black and Hispanic students attend a school with less than 10 percent white students, while 34% of white students attend a school with more than half white peers. Also, more than 60% of Hispanic and Black students are attending schools where more than 75% of peer students experience …

State Tanf Spending: Does Devolution Matter?, Rhucha Samudra

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Using the state-level panel data, this study examines the role of Second-Order Devolution (SOD) in state TANF spending patterns. The study uses the Within-Between RE model to examine this connection. No statistically significant effect of second-order devolution is observed. The race continues to be a strong predictor of state funding and complex effects for Black, Hispanic, and Asian clients are observed. Such effects encourage a nuanced discussion of the racialization of welfare policy beyond the dichotomous exploration of black-white differences. Implications of this evidence are discussed.

Norm And The People, Jacqueline N. Wade

Theses and Dissertations

Norm and the People is a 90-minute hybrid film about the Minister and activist Norman Eddy and the work he and other activists did in Spanish Harlem from the 1940s through his death in 2013. The film is told through interviews, archival photos and videos, reenactments, and puppets.

Exploration Of Brookland Park And Surrounding Neighborhoods: Exploration Of Race And Space, Kearra M. Bright

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

This project explores how race and space have impacted the neighborhoods of Brookland Park, North Barton Heights, and Providence Park from the start of their development in the 1890’s to the present day. And how systemic racism has impacted these neighborhoods over time. This paper will explore this through the history, existing conditions, findings, and policy and program recommendations. And will aid in combating systemic racism and starting the conversation about what is currently happening in some of Richmond’s Northside Neighborhoods.

Dreaming Of Home: Youth Researchers Of Color Address Nyc’S Housing Crisis, Samuel Finesurrey, Waleska Cabrera, Meldis Jimenez, Brittiny Ando, Alanna Garcia, Alexander Garcia, Jayden Johnstone, Abdul Mohammed, Sheylany Paulino, Edwin Reed, Emelyn Saavedra, Gisselle Saavedra, Rajendra Singh, Aysia Smith, Marlena Syriaque

Publications and Research

New Yorkers are facing a housing crisis. Long-standing disparities of race and class in New York City have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus and the looming eviction crisis threaten working-class communities, immigrant families and youth searching for housing stability throughout the city. This report is a call to action demanding that city and state elected officials, along with civic leaders, address the housing crisis that youth are inheriting. A team of youth housing fellows, housing organizers from the Broadway Housing Communities, and CUNY academics shaped this project around the ethos, “No research about us, without us.” The work …

Introduction, Ebony Walden, Meghan Z. Gough

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

Introduction to the book Richmond Racial Equity Essays by the editors Ebony Walden and Meghan Z. Gough. The book is a collection of essays on creating racial equity in Richmond, Virginia.

The Bus Should Be Free, Wyatt Gordon, Faith Walker

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The authors advocate zero-fare transit for the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) bus system.

When Black [Girls’] Lives Really Matter, Angela Patton

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author outlines ways Richmond can support Black women and girls. Her vision of an equitable Richmond is one where we see, hear, and celebrate Black girls. It’s one where we experience Black girl “magic,” and we give them every opportunity and resource to achieve and thrive.

Incarceration And Violence: Time For A Change, Ashley Diaz Mejias

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author explores the racist underpinnings of the prison system and states that if we, as a nation and as a local community, are serious about addressing the lasting harms of mass incarceration and reducing our prison population, and if we are serious about accountability and public safety, we have to address the relationship between incarceration and violence.

“Si, Yo Hablo Español”: Empowering Spanish-Speakers With Culturally And Linguistically Accessible Services, Gabriela Telepman

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

Based on her experience with the agency Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center, the author defines an equitable Richmond as a city that recognizes the needs of the Spanish speaking population and commits to meeting those needs by providing adequate Spanish language services, with service providers service providers must act with empathy and imbed a bilingual, bicultural, and trauma-informed approach within their organizations.

The Dream And Reality Of An Afro-Latina: El Sueño Y La Realidad De Una Afrolatina, Shanteny A. Jackson

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author explores the state of Latinos and Afro Latinos in Richmond in the context of her goal of creating culturally sensitive spaces for dialogue and celebration of Latino ancestry, history, and culture; promoting leadership that reflects the community being served; and establishing equitable distribution of power.

The Role Of The Business Community In Creating A More Equitable Richmond, Brian Anderson

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author discusses the recommendations of the task force formed by ChamberRVA, the regional Chamber of Commerce for Greater Richmond, following the murder of George Floyd. The task force defined three primary strategic imperatives for the business community, which they believe will create a more equitable Richmond region. They believe the business community needs to: 1) Adopt more equitable policies and processes and make a commitment to embed diversity, equity and inclusion into their organizations. 2) Develop initiatives that elevate students of color to create more pathways to viable careers and economic mobility. 3) Remove barriers in the supplier ecosystem …

A Rich Education, Benjamin P. Campbell

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author outlines the background of Richmond (and Virginia)'s educational inequity, stating that the most direct route to racial equity in metropolitan Richmond is what he calls a Rich Education for all, by way of Rich Schools. He demonstrates how poverty must be addressed to bring about racial equity, by first addressing educational equity, which must address educational wealth.

Expanding The Geography Of Opportunity And Ownership, Maritza E. Mercado Pechin

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author, a city planner, defines an equitable Richmond as a city where all Richmonders have equal or equivalent access to goods, services, status, rights, power, and amenities. She outlines four ideas to help Richmond expand physical and ownership access: rewriting the zoning ordinance; reconnecting the city; establishing programs that increase generational wealth; expanding engagement and education of city planning.

Neighborhood Self-Determination And The Vision For Racial Equity, Michael H. Smith

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author outlines his ideas of how values of the Black Baptist church can inform the development of racial equity in methods of engagement, decision-making, and economic investment in Richmond neighborhoods. These values are respect of elders, solidarity in the pursuit of joy, trust and love of one's neighbor, and determination for collective liberation.

Housing Is The Root Of Wealth Inequality: Building An Equitable Richmond, Heather Mullins Crislip

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author examines how the dramatic differences in homeownership between white and Black households are not largely a function of income, as many often assume. There are structural barriers, both historic and contemporary, that deliver this result. An equitable Richmond would give all households the opportunity for stability and growth. The first step in this would be to have housing available that people can afford, distributed across the region to allow for choice, and opportunities for sustainable homeownership. A thriving Richmond would also break down racial and economic segregated housing patterns to create an integrated community.

From Red Lines To Brown Circles, Again: Reviving The Legacy Of Maggie L. Walker For Inclusive Economic Liberation, Shekinah Mitchell

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author uses the legacy of Maggie Walker as a background for her proposal for radical, community-based intervention, shifting to a brown circles mindset that pushes Richmond to be a more racially equitable place benefiting everyone struggling to find the on-ramp to traditional pathways of wealth building. The tethered relationship of capitalism and racism requires that the dialogue about a more racially equitable Richmond include an honest conversation about money and wealth.

Massive Resilience: An Emergent Strategy For Racial Equity In Richmond, Va, Ram Bhagat

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

To counteract the educational harms caused by racism and poverty, transformative cultural experiences designed to increase social emotional competence and eliminate racist policies are required. One such experience is Massive Resilience, a framework and set of practices the author developed to build resilience for challenging systemic racism based on the universal values of Ubuntu, Sawubona, and Sankofa; centered on the principles of interconnectedness, inter-relatedness, and inter-resilience, which collectively promote compassion, courage, and creativity.

Climate Resilience And Justice In Richmond, Jeremy Hoffman

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author examines climate change inequity in Richmond and discusses strategies to deal with it in the long and short term in ways that would lead to climate resilience policy decisions that incorporate the values of community members, demonstrably improve community health and wellbeing, and bolster socioeconomic equity across the city.

Radically Reimagining Our Systems, Danny Tk Avula

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author recommends ways organizations can do the difficult and sustained work it requires to realize equity in the Richmond Region: recognize that our systems perpetuate disparity; develop cross-sector solutions; drive change with data; partner with the people.

Intentionally Connecting With The Other, Oscar F. Contreras Telón

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author advocates for communication as a means to combat racism and bias. As Richmonders, we need to seek out conversations, even if they are not initially comfortable, so we can learn about each other and act with compassion. This is true, especially if we find ourselves in a position of influence or privilege. One way to connect across cultures is by creating cross-cultural community spaces for joy, healing and sharing experiences.

Reparative And Equitable Practices And Partnerships, Meghan Z. Gough

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author's vision of a racially equitable Richmond is one in which resourced institutions, such as higher education, invest in reparative and equitable practices that respect lived expertise and are built on partnerships. As we rethink our roles and responsibilities, we should invest in reparative and equitable planning practices that include 1) acknowledging structural racism as a societal problem; 2) prioritizing lived expertise; and, 3) building long-term and mutually-beneficial partnerships.

Reframing Equity: The Gift Of Being A Giver, Damon Jiggetts

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author focuses on the power of giving, seeing equity as being achieved when those perceived as having little power, resources, or gifts can give of themselves in ways that are not only meaningful to someone else or to the community, but also in ways that evoke a sense of pride, self-worth, and value in themselves.

Black And Brown Centered Placemaking Rooted In Identity And Ownership, Ebony Walden

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

The author outlines ideas for advancing racial equity in Richmond through creating neighborhoods and communities rooted in Black and Brown cultural identity, while supporting Black and Brown ownership and entrepreneurship.

From Ideas To Action, Ebony Walden, Meghan Z. Gough Ph.D.

Richmond Racial Equity Essays: Individual Essays

Conclusion to the book Richmond Racial Equity Essays by the editors Ebony Walden and Meghan Z. Gough. The book is a collection of essays on creating racial equity in Richmond, Virginia.