IRP/PolicyLink Collaboration:
Regional Equity Resource Project
IRP and PolicyLink are collaborating on
a project that will bring together the works of organizations
working nationally on regional equity issues. The project goal
is to make exciting and important work more accessible and responsive
to the needs of civil rights advocates, policymakers, and others
concerned with regionalism from an equity standpoint.
As regional equity research has grown and
become more influential, it becomes crucial that groups working
on regional equity issues are aware of and build on each other's
work. Similarly, as regional equity becomes an important framework
in growing metropolitan areas, these groups must increase awareness
of their efforts and be responsive to national civil rights advocates
and local communities.
The Regional Equity Resource Project will
survey the work of organizations across the country, describing
their thoughts on regional equity, highlighting their contributions
to regional equity strategies, and raising what they see as gaps
in research and advocacy. In addition, IRP and PolicyLink staff
working on the project will analyze how these groups are playing
a key role in framing several current civil rights issues, including
affordable housing, employment opportunities, education, and
transportation.
To learn more about PolicyLink see www.policylink.org.
Critical Analysis:
Case Studies/Best Practices
IRP has been looking at case studies of
regional equity efforts in various metropolitan areas, in an
effort to identify "best practices" in regionalism
and civil rights, from policymaking, litigation, and grassroots
perspectives. One result is a better understanding of the complexity
of metropolitan areas, and the realization that an effort in
one area with a small minority community may not translate well
to a metro area with a large minority presence. IRP is now conducting
a critical analysis of what are generally viewed as Best Practices
to determine what regional elements are lacking, as well as what
was successful. The hope is to identify regional practices, and
critique them in a such way that provides useful lessons for
other communities and civil rights leaders nationally.
Metropolitan
Coalition Building
One element of the RJ&RE project is
to focus on particular metropolitan areas while working closely
with civil rights advocates to further their local agendas within
a regional framework. Cities are now being identified where civil
rights advocates have the political power to influence local
and regional policymaking. Key civil rights leaders in these
cities will be identified and interviewed, so IRP staff can develop
regional framework strategies for addressing the issues the civil
rights leaders identify. Often, many issues come into play, including
the extent of regional planning, the size and political strength
of the minority community, and the wealth of the area. Working
in several metropolitan areas will likely provide models that
other communities can at least partially adopt.
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