Creating and Sustaining Diversity in the 21st Century: Lessons from the Neighborhoods

1. Creating and Sustaining Diversity in the 21st Century: Lessons from the Neighborhoods

2. Important time in U.S. history • We are becoming a more diverse nation • By 2050 it is projected that the U.S. population will be 50% “minority”

4. And there is increased acceptance of diversity • According to a 1997 Gallup Poll: 61% of all Whites & 83% of all Blacks in the U.S. stated that they would “rather live in a neighborhood with both black and white families.” When Whites were asked if they would move if Blacks “moved into the neighborhood in great numbers,” only 18% reported that they would move. [In 1967 this figure was 72%.]

5. Increased acceptance of diversity • A 1997 Boston Globe poll found that: “Almost 90% of blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians say they have developed friendships that cross racial and ethnic lines” “Although many Americans still chose to live with their own ethnic or racial groups, strong majorities of all colors profess tolerance of other races and ethnic groups”

6. Existence of stable, diverse neighborhoods • Racially, ethnically, and economically diverse communities exist in many cities • Bucking the stereotype that a diverse neighborhood=a “changing” neighborhood • What factors contribute to stable diversity?

7. Research focusing on the positive story • Focus on policies & strategies that have brought and can bring about stable diversity to urban neighborhoods • We know there is greater demand for diverse neighborhoods than there are diverse neighborhoods available • By presenting positive examples of stable diversity, we can short circuit notion that diversity is only a temporary point in resegregation

8. The Study • Coordinated by the Loyola University Center for Urban Research and Learning, the Policy Research Action Group, and the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities • A collaborative university:community, researcher:practitioner effort • Funded by HUD

9. The study • “Diversity” is defined as how close each tract came to the whole city’s racial and ethnic composition • “Stable” is defined as approximating this diversity for two consecutive census years (1980 and 1990)

10. Which communities did we study? • Fourteen neighborhoods in nine cities

11. Place US map with studied cities here

12. Which communities did we study? • New York City • Jackson Heights, Queens • Fort Green, Brooklyn • Philadelphia • West Mt. Airy • Memphis • Vollintine-Evergreen

13. Which communities did we study? • Milwaukee • Sherman Park • Chicago • Rogers Park • Edgewater • Uptown • Chicago Lawn (Marquette Park) • Denver • Park Hill

14. Which communities did we study? • Houston • Houston Heights • Oakland • Fruitvale • San Antonio • Seattle • Southeast Seattle

15. Common Characteristics • “Attractive” Physical Characteristics • Mixture of types of diversity • Within blocks • Small pockets of racial/ethnic homogeneity • Presence of “social seams” • Residents’ awareness of their community’s stable diversity • Community-based organizations contributing to maintaining diversity

16. Common Characteristics • Moral or value-oriented component to community organization/institution involvement • Efforts to spur economic development • Common Challenges • transition from older to younger residents • addressing community disinvestment • community safety • schools

17. Common Challenges • Transition from older to younger residents • Addressing community disinvestment • Community safety • Improving quality of education

18. Two models of diversity • Diversity by Direction • Diversity by Circumstance

19. Diversity by Direction • Emerged out of civil rights movement of the 1960s • actively market themselves as diverse • developed an array of community organizations, social networks, & institutional accommodations to sustain diversity

20. Diverse by Direction • Community-based organization intervention: • promoting positive perceptions • affirmative marketing programs • monitoring fair housing laws • addressing quality of life concerns • Religious congregations play prominent role • Social seams well developed

21. Diverse by Direction • More political and financial resources • Working relationships with banks and real estate agents • Emergence of strong leadership within community • Bi-racial or bi-ethnic, rather than multi-racial/ethnic character

22. Diversity by Circumstance • Community has not worked directly to develop/sustain its diversity: the community happens to become diverse

23. Diversity by Circumstance • Result of economic & social processes not directly related to resident or community organization actions, such as: • gentrification stalled by poor real estate market • establishment of port of entry for new immigrants • revitalization of adjacent areas/spill-over investment • transition because of aging population • development of affordable housing • Social seams not as visible or as strong

24. Diversity by Circumstance • Multi-racial and/or multi-ethnic diversity • Network of community organizations that represents different ethnic/racial group interests

25. Diversity by Circumstance • Lower median income • Affordable housing represents larger portion of housing stock

26. Diversity by Circumstance: meeting the challenges • Religious institutions act as bridges between multiple ethnic groups • Developing efforts to weave together various ethnic and racial groups

27. Recommendations & Conclusions • Develop strategies to strengthen community-based organizations • Establish regional networks of diverse communities • Create leadership training institutes • Public & private agencies should earmark resources specifically for diverse communities

28. Recommendations & Conclusions • Increased receptivity to new immigrant groups • Maintain or strengthen fair housing laws, anti-discrimination laws, the Community Reinvestment Act, & other related state & local laws • Government agencies should be proactive in promoting diverse neighborhoods

29. Recommendations & Conclusions • The media should take an active role in telling positive stories of diverse community successes • Support public & private programs supporting mixed-income developments • Business should look carefully at diverse communities as potentially strong markets • Bolster the quality of local schools • Promote efforts to improve community safety

30. Looking ahead to the future... • We can end the notion that the only stable neighborhood is a segregated neighborhood Greenhouse/Boston Globe