As we mark the end of another turbulent year, it can be easy to get discouraged by the new and compounding challenges already dominating 2022’s headlines. Skyrocketing COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations, rising inflation, increased violence, and a stalled federal agenda all threaten to stand in the way of a more just national recovery. But amid this hardship and uncertainty, one thing is true: Local leaders are tirelessly working to advance more equitable recoveries in their communities—fighting on the frontlines for a future where everyone has access to opportunity, prosperity, and a healthy and vibrant neighborhood in which to live.
As we look ahead to this new year, we want to reflect back on some of the community-led efforts and innovations that fostered more inclusive, connected, and resilient places in 2021—and that can be scaled to ensure 2022 is better and brighter for all.
Community-centered economic inclusion
Even with billions of dollars spent on place-based initiatives over the past 25 years, the number of high-poverty neighborhoods in the U.S. remains persistently high. To combat this geography of injustice, local leaders in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia piloted a new approach—community-centered economic inclusion (CCEI)—to build wealth in underinvested places and drive city and regional economic growth and development that centers equity at its core. Our practitioner-oriented CCEI playbook, developed with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), documented these communities’ efforts in order to provide concrete guidance to local leaders in other cities looking to combat place-based inequities. CCEI is already being employed in additional cities, and in the coming year we plan to work with several rural towns to adapt the process to their own context.
Community ownership of real estate
Property ownership in the U.S. has always been rooted in racial exclusion and exploitation, from the theft of Indigenous lands to slavery, racial housing covenants, and the systemic devaluation of Black residential assets. But for as long as these inequities have existed, so too have locally led collective ownership models, including community land trusts, co-ops, community-owned stores, and community investment trusts. Our research on community ownership—including efforts to buy back the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Plaza Mall in Los Angeles and lessons on strengthening community governance amid crisis—has sought to uplift locally led strategies and provide evidence-based guidance to scale community ownership to support a more just recovery.
Inclusive public spaces and play
COVID-19 made the benefits of well-maintained public spaces increasingly obvious, as they provided critical places for people to gather, socialize, and access services; allowed restaurants and other small businesses to safely operate; and gave children and families outdoor opportunities for play. To further demonstrate the value of inclusive, quality public spaces, we published a three-part research series measuring the impact of public space investments in Flint, Mich., Buffalo, N.Y., and Albuquerque, N.M. With the Brookings Center for Universal Education, we also developed a metrics framework for assessing how embedding playful learning activities in everyday spaces can enhance learning outcomes, social interaction, and community engagement.
State governance to support places
While all place-based efforts must be locally led, our communities are inextricably shaped by political realities at the city, regional, state, and federal level. In recent history, the federal government has taken a leading role in funding many place-based initiatives, but state policies and investments can also provide critical supports for such efforts. Last fall, we released a policy paper highlighting how states affect the economic, social, environmental, and civic conditions in places, and pointed to Michigan’s focus on placemaking as a core component of its economic development strategy.
Communicating our message
The Bass Center is grateful for the many opportunities we had over the past year share our vision and insights for building strong and inclusive communities. Our work has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, CityLab, USA Today, Axios, Shelterforce, Planetizen, and City Observatory, as well as local outlets. In 2022, we will continue to disseminate research and insights on why place matters to people and economies and how communities can achieve inclusive growth through transformative placemaking.
We are very grateful to Bob and Anne Bass for supporting this work and eagerly anticipate the new explorations that support will allow us to pursue in the years to come.
