Melissa
Zornitta, FAICP Executive HillsboroughDirector,County CityCounty CommissionPlanning Melissa Dickens, AICP Strategic Planning and Policy CommissionCityHillsboroughManager,County-CountyPlanning Fatima GraduateElkottAssistant & USFFellow,Master of Urban & Regional Planning Van Linkous, PhD, AICP Program Director & Associate Professor, USF Master of Urban & Regional Planning
Enhancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Planning Profession
Association Annual Conference 2022 September 8, 2022
Florida
American
Enhancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Planning Profession: Perspectives and Progress in Planning Education
Evangeline Linkous, PhD, AICP Chapter of the Planning
• Serves on the Executive Board of ULI Tampa Bay and haspreviously served as a Planning Commissioner for the Hillsborough County City County Planning Commission
• Program Director for and an Associate Professor in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at the University ofSouth Florida
Evangeline Linkous, PhD, AICP
• Ph.D. and Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania; Bachelor of Arts in English fromNew College of Florida
• Research areas: land use planning, growth management, fiscaland legal instruments for land management, property rights,urban governance institutions
• Published in journals including the Journal of the American Planning Association, Land Use Policy, Urban Affairs Review, and the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
National OrganizationsEducationPlanning
• The Association of Collegiate Schoolsof Planning (ACSP) is a consortium of more than 100 university departments and programs offering planning degreesas well as programs that offer degreesaffiliated with planning. Most ACSPschool members are located in North America, particularly the U.S.
• The Planning Accreditation Board(PAB) accredits university programs in North America leading to bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees in planning. PABstandards are developed with input from the stakeholders in the planning community and our sponsoring organizations: the American PlanningAssociation (APA); APA’s AmericanInstitute of Certified Planners (AICP); and the Association of Collegiate Schools ofPlanning (ACSP).
• Diversity data related to students and faculty
ACSP Committees & Task Forces
• Compiled a Planners of Color CV book (2017)
• Implements the Predoctoral Workshop for Students of Color and the Junior Faculty Workshop
• Compiles Report on Race, Ethnicity, and Foreign Origin Data for ACSP (2014, 2016, 2018)
• Responsible for leading and implementing ACSP efforts related to diversity and inclusion
Special Committee on Diversity
• Suggested Outcome Measures for PAB Standards and Criteria Related to Diversity and Social Justice (2014)
• Compiled a syllabus book of planning syllabi addressing issues of diversity and social justice (2018)
Presidential
•
• This can include: Assessing the culture of the ACSP annual conference, media, advisement to member programs, and all association activities Advising the Governing Board on a method to track progress toward long-term goals and articulating and updating those goals
•
ACSP Committees & Task Forces Task Force on Anti-Racism
• New task force charged with reviewing all ACSP practices to identify barriers to maintaining a sustained anti-racist focus
Faculty Women's Interest Group (FWIG)
• The acronym stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Allies. Inclusion requires openness to the intersectional nature of identity, acknowledgingthe different experiences of people along the lines of race, class, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion and life experience.
Planners of Color Interest Group (POCIG)
Inclusion (LGBTQIA + Allies)
ACSP Interest Groups
• The mission of the POCIG is to advance the interests and concerns of people and communities of color within the planning academia and the profession.
Global Planning Educators Interest Group (GPEIG)
• GPEIG’s mission is to enable planning educators and students to collaboratively share global perspectives in planning education and research.
• FWIG seeks to encourage and support women faculty and graduate students in urban and regional planning as well as those conducting research and outreach on planningissues critical to women.
• ACSP Governing Board approved in spring 2021 funding for a Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship program as part of ACSP’s efforts to foster diversity and inclusion amongst the next generation of planning researchers.
• Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative ideas, actions, and/or scholarly inquiries that help advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of planning.
• Recipients may also use the fellowship funds to cover expenses related to a project or research.
ACSP Diversity & Inclusion Student Fellowship Award
• The program provides fellowships to support the engagement of undergraduate and graduate students in ACSP sponsored conferences and events.
• Curriculum criteria: Equity, Diversity and Social Justice: key issues in equity, diversity, and social justice that emphasize planners’ role in expanding choice and opportunity forall persons, plan for the needs of the disadvantaged, reduce inequitiesthrough critical examination of past and current systems and disparities, andpromote racial and economic integration.
Planning Accreditation Board Standards
• Program must track and enhance faculty diversity.
• Program must track student diversity data and should demonstrate continuous improvement in efforts to attract and retain a diverse student body.
• Program strategic goals “shall reflect the Program’s intent to achieve and maintain diversity in its student body and faculty, and to incorporate into the curriculum the knowledge and skills needed toserve a diverse society.”
ACSP Conference Location Debate • Greenville, SC 2019 • State of California bans travel to SC due to state’s 2018 restriction on fostering and adoption to heterosexual couples • Decision to move forward with conference but center the conference around the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community • Miami 2023 • “Don’t Say Gay” prompts reconsideration • Appointing members of each interest group to conference location committee • Developing consistent criteria for future decisions
University of South Florida Master of Urban and Regional Planning
• MURP Advisory Committee fundraised to endow scholarship in perpetuity
Mark R. Hafen MURP Diversity Scholarship
• Named after (and established by) the former MURP Program Director Dr. Mark Hafen
• Provides $1,000+ scholarship awarded annually to one deserving planning student of merit who submits a personal statement describing how their background and/or experiences can contribute to our program's goal of expanding opportunities to historically underrepresented, economically disadvantaged, and marginalized communities.
Community Engaged Projects
Mentor a Planning Student (MAPS)
• Involves minimum of three meetings plus kick off
• Partnership between USF MURP and APA Sun Coast, launched 2015
• Annual program that runs for academic year, September - May
• Based on APA Florida model first launched at FSU
• Per APA guidance about importance of diverse mentor role models in career development, MAPS application allows students to express mentor match interests that relate to professional goals as well as personal experiences/background
Publication
Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education anticipated at end of year
• Promoting Urban Planning Awareness for Children: An Overview of Multifaceted International Case Studies/ Community Outreach Initiatives.
• Engaging elementary school pupils in community awareness and planning. Insights from the Kaizuka Machizukuri Club, Osaka.
• Undergraduate Urban Planning Students’ Awareness of and Motivations for Planning Education and Profession
Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education
• Factors Influencing Considerations for Urban Planning as a Field of Study and/or Career Choice Among Environmental Science Students
• Increasing Planning Education Awareness and Addressing Enrollment Challenge in Urban Planning Schools: The Iowa State University Experience
• For mutual benefit? Introducing urban planning to high school geography students in NSW, Australia
• Alabama City Year Program
• Enhancing Planning Education Awareness in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Namibia
• Can children’s participation inspire a new generation of urban planners?
• Town and Gown Partnerships for Fostering Engagement and Growing Diversity within the Planning Profession: Youth Enrichment and Professional Mentorship
• Planning with Children: Implications for the Planning Profession and Active Citizens
• Diversifying Urban Planning and Architecture Programs through International Education Experience: Lessons from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
• Shaping awareness about planning by helping planners to become more mindful and critical about their identity, role, and context
• Racial Diversity and Accredited Planning Programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Contributions, Challenges and Prospects
• Why Plan? A two-decade exploration into how and why to engage young people in city planning and diversify the planning pipeline.
• Learning Environmental Planning with Geodesign: A Case Study in Cache Valley, Utah
• More Than an Invitation: Setting the Rhythm of Planning Programs Through DEI Statements and Plans
• Diversity check: An Exclusive Planning Discipline?
• Building Planning Education at a Hispanic-Serving R1: Challenges in Diversity and Recruitment
• The People that Represent the Region and The Year of Change
• Deconstructing Diversity in Urban Planning Education in Italy: Implications for the Future of a “Practical Knowledge”
• Career Choices in the ‘Century of Urbanization’: A Comparative Study of Student Enrollments in Nigerian Universities from the Urban Planning Perspective
• Raising urban planning awareness in India
• A Path to Racial Equity - Youth Planning Education and Representation
• More than a Job: Building Opportunities for Undergraduate Professional Development in a Minority Serving Institution
Thank Questions/Reachyou! out: Evangeline Linkous, PhD, AICP elinkous@usf.edu
ofatMentoringalllevelsAPA • APA Florida Student Mentoring Programs – Pipeline to the Profession • Sun Coast/USF • Orlando Metro/UCF • Capital Area/FSU • Treasure Coast & Broward/FAU • San Felasco/UF • Mid-Career Mentoring – Pipeline to Leadership • APA Women & Planning Division • Sun Coast CAMPS – Coaching for the Advancement of Mid-Career Planners • FAICP Mentors – Pipeline to Fellowship
panacea.NOTleaders.foraccessibleactionable,puzzle,pieceoneprogramsMentoringaresmalloftheanstepAPAa
2004 Wage gap among respondents APA Member Wage Gap - 2004 $ 0.86$ 1.00 https://www.planning.org/salary/
2018 Wage gap among respondents APA Member Wage Gap - 2018 $ 0.89$ 1.00 https://www.planning.org/salary/
Source: Women in the Workplace 2021, McKinsey and LeanIn.org
– At All Levels Women in the Workplace
Representation Matters
About APA Women & Planning Division • 3,000+ members nationwide, strong representation in Florida • A national network of planners actively promoting and addressing the issues of women in planning • Promote the professional growth of women in the planning field • Provide the planning profession with research and guidance toaddress the needs of women in planning practice • Facilitate connections with other Divisions, Chapters, and alliedorganizations addressing issues relevant to women in planning • Join us! • women.planning.org
APA Women & Planning Pilot Mentorship Program • Top priority of membership survey • Varied requests –career and leadership development, guidance from another woman of color, salary negotiation, only woman in male-dominated environment • Match students, early or mid-career with more tenured members and women in positions of leadership • Enhance career growth, professional development, and increase number of women in positions of leadership • Flexible and tailored to individual needs and schedules • Pilot program
Women & Planning Division Pilot Mentoring Program • 50 mentor/mentee pairs - pilot mentee slots filled up within one hour • Division-matched mentor pairs based on survey responses (interests, goals, location) – pair-led • Six months in length • Program guide – mentoring activities, suggestions, questions/conversation starters • Suggested virtual meeting of once per month • Periodic check ins with the Division, group virtual networking, group speakers • Drew from Sun Coast CAMPS and MAPS
MentoringIdeas • Resume review and cover letter feedback • Meeting/event shadowing • Networking or introductions via virtual coffee (or inperson) • Goal setting and career roadmaps • Building strategic work relationships • Mock interview • Exchange and discuss articles or books • “On call” troubleshooting
Results & Lessons Learned • Pilot approach recommended • Heavy front-end volunteer time, some time needed throughout process • Connections and network knowledge important for matching and recruitment • Experience dependent on individual mentors and mentees • Ask the right questions • Virtual enhances opportunities
Further Resources • WPD Program Guide • APA MAPS Guides • APA Sun Coast CAMPS • Mentoring Articles by APA
Enhancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Planning Profession
Melissa Zornitta, FAICP, Executive Director zornittam@plancom.org
Independent, multi-jurisdictional agency focused on long range planning 50+ staff serving three Boards – Planning Commission MPO River Board Plan Hillsborough Context
Law, Regulations, and Executive Orders
–
Planning
public funds, to which all taxpayers of all races [colors, and national origins]
“Simple justice requires that
–2014
contribute, not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes or results in racial [color or national origin] discrimination.” John F. Kennedy, 1963
Federal Laws and Responsibilities of Plan Hillsborough TPO recipient of Federal funds Commission indirect beneficiary of Federal funds Staff Services Agreement Compliance with Civil Rights
Which Laws and Orders? Acts: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Highway Act of 1973 Age Discrimination Act of 1975 Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Orders: Executive Order on Environmental Justice (EO 12898) Executive Order on Limited English Proficiency (EO 13166) Subsequent regulations
Nondiscrimination and Equity Plan Purpose
Demonstrate compliance with Acts, Orders, and Regulations Advance equitable processes and just outcomes, above and beyond Federal and State requirements “….no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, income, religion, familial status, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination or retaliation under any TPO or Planning Commission sponsored program or activity.” East Tampa, 2021
Report Outline Part I: Title VI and Nondiscrimination Components Part II: Equity Work in TPO Program Areas Part III: Equity Work in Planning Commission Programs Part IV: Equity Framework Part V: History of Discriminatory Planning in Hillsborough County Part VI: Public Engagement Part VII: Recommendations
p l a n h i l l s b o r o u g h . o r g Public Engagement Results CommunityTransportationHousingElementsCommunityEngagement Challenges Solutions • Forced to drive • Dangerous/unsafe • Want to walk and bike more • Prices going up, quality and wages low • Low-quality homes, neighborhood aesthetics, trash, environmental quality • Segregation and gentrification • Low-quality parks; food deserts • “All the good stuff in white neighborhoods” • Lack of government trust • Meetings inaccessible • Language and process are inaccessible • Invest in the bus first • Sidewalks and bike lanes • Traffic calming; esp. speedbumps • Revitalization, not gentrification • Better advertise existing programs • Policies • Density, proximity • Invest in quality community elements in neighborhoodsunderserved • Relationships • Field engagement • Planning education
Recommendations for Advancing Equity Agencywide and Internal Procedures Transportation Planning Organization Comprehensive Planning ComprehensiveAgencywideTPOPlanning
1. Improve
EJ,
“Meet
3.
Drivers
2.
Agencywide and Internal Procedures Hiring Practices, Staff Representation and Training, and Consultant Opportunities license requirements, diversify candidate pipeline, pay community liaisons, continue Title VI, and Civil Rights trainings Expand public engagement efforts and opportunities, particularly with communities who have been underserved and traditionally underrepresented Create an agencywide Public Participation Plan (PPP), and an agencywide Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan Create an agencywide ADA self-evaluation and ADA Transition Plan Expand educational outreach People where they Are” – host Board, Committee, Commission meetings around the County, host office hours across the County, conduct field outreach for projects Technology – text exchanges with planners, centralized phone application for meetings and events Expand performance measures for public engagement Improve intergovernmental coordination
Leverage
Expansion of places advertise Blind selection utilized for many positions HR Manager Certified in Diversity and Inclusion through USF Succession Planning Fellowships with USF expandedHiring Practices
DEI training as part of onboarding Quarterly Internal Diversity Training Sessions One hour sessions partnered with community advocacy groups Emerging Leaders Program Prepare interested employees for successful transitioning to leadership positions within the organizationTraining Practices
Community Outreach Practices • Understand demographicstheof the area • Creation of Spanish Translation Group • Greater utilization of videos • Meet people where they are –• Field outreach • Tabling at Events
Putting Words to Action
Enhancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Planning Profession
Melissa Zornitta, FAICP, Executive Director zornittam@plancom.org
Future Leaders in Planning Programs
Engaging Youth in Planning Processes
IMPACTS GOING BEYOND EDUCATION ExposureExperienceand EngagementExchangeand EmpowermentEmbodimentand
EXPOSUREEXPERIENCEAND
Opening the doors to new possibilities and opportunities by exposing the kids to experiences they have never had before.
Kids know. They experience their communities in ways that can give us insight into what it is like to live there.
Children are essential to decision making and urban planning/design. It's our job to teach them the how and the why so that they can entrust us with the insight and solutions to making their lives, and their communities, better.
Just like they know what the problems are, they have the energy and creativity to want to work on solutions.
ENGAGEMENTEXCHANGEAND
Offering Insights Providing Solutions
Allowing the kids the autonomy to not only telling us what's wrong, but letting them choose the actions they want to take to solve those issues creates the chance for them to embody what they've learned, and feel empowered enough to make a difference. likelihood the kids will take care of these projects after they're done
Increasing the
ANDEMPOWERMENTEMBODIMENT
Teaching them to care environment,themselves,fortheirandeachother. Ownership Personal Responsibility confidenceInstillingin their capabilities of immediate action and change. Action
Growing our Future Leaders
This program had a robust and varied curriculum where the kids were taught land use principles, transportation strategies, civic engagement, and concepts of sustainability and equity.
The kids chose and worked on what they deemed to be the most pressing issues in their communities. This provided a unique experience and curriculum at each location that reflected the needs and desires of their respective communities.
The kids were able to have a varied curriculum because of the diverse partners and "co-teachers" that participated in the program. Consultants, developers, landscape architects, gardeners. and o many perspectives and expertises that were brought to the progr
They were able to directly witness the broad range of urban planning applications through immersive field trips and tours.
This program prioritized exposure to real world projects which allowed these students to gain concrete skills and network as they were immersed into the planning profession and its impacts.
They finished off their week with working on visioning exercises for a downtown corridor and urban parcel and practiced their presentation skills
The students heard from planners managing the port and airport, local government planners, engineers, scientists, elected officials, and developers.
The students had their own varied interests and having the diverse speakers allowed them each the opportunity to flourish individually both in the present and in their future careers.
THE FUTURE OF YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN URBAN PLANNING DedicatedEnthusiasticfundingEducators Robust Partnerships Support and Prioritization
THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF EQUITY IN PLANNING
All initiatives are interconnected, and it is our job as planners to build these bridges among our connections and projections to truly create a world that promotes Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
In order to ensure current EDI initiatives are not "performative", intersectionality of individuals and organizations needs to be a constant priority.
Equity doesn't stop. It's a mindset shift which means it needs to be practiced in all aspects of our personal lives.