UP 504 Final Podcast - Equitable Access in a Divided Chicago

In this podcast, I will talk about the disparities and inequities in terms of accessibility and mobility between demographic groups located in different areas of the City of Chicago, South Shore and West Town. I think this narrative will show that social injustice and health inequities are a result of decades of poor planning practices. I believe that this is important for the listeners to understand the history of American urban planning because it will provide context and background to the spaces that they might live and interact with. Through certain demographic data, I will portray these inequities right from the source. It is important to understand the way in which our urban landscape was shaped by poor planning practices of the past in order to pave the way towards the future. Poor planning practices have shaped segregation by physical location, resources, and services which, in turn, has led to the inequities and outcomes of today. Majority minority, low-income communities have seen decades of immense disinvestment. Understanding why this is crucial for creating a more equitable future. Society views racial segregation on the level of class segregation which is merely a result of the free market economy. In laymen’s terms, it is viewed as a problem that no one but the individuals in poverty or who live in low-income areas can solve. Individualistic views like this are a mechanism for continued segregation. There are additional economic barriers to accessibility and upward mobility, but these are related to past practices associated with physical location and the surrounding resources such as education and available jobs. One solution to this issue is to create quality and affordable housing where disadvantaged people live currently, and which is also near transportation to increase mobility around the city. Creating quality housing near transit stops where people already live will increase their access to good jobs, services, education, and overall improve their quality of life. Initiatives like Chicago’s ETOD policy plan is a good solution, but how else can we solve this problem in the long run? What are plans or actions that will increase the overall quality of life for residents in segregated areas that are low-income, majority minority communities?

References:

1.     Gross, T. (2017, May 3). A 'Forgotten History' of How the U.S. Government Segregated America. NPR. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-am....

2.     Ermagun, A., & Tilahun, N. (2020). Equity of transit accessibility across Chicago. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 86, 102461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102461

3.     Rothstein, R. (2018). The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America. Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company.

4.     Equitable Transit Oriented Development. City of Chicago. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/equitable-transit-oriented-development/home.html.

5.     Odugu, D., et al. (n.d.). Racial Restriction and Housing Discrimination in the Chicagoland Area. Digital Chicago. Retrieved October 1, 2021, from http://digitalchicagohistory.org/exhibits/show/restricted-chicago/history.

6.     ACS 5-Year Estimates 2015-2019. US Census Bureau.