Season 2 Episode 1: ‘Unequal Ground’: The Impact of Unjust Policies on Access to Educational Opportunities, Upward Mobility, and Better Quality of Life

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

The housing and communities that people live in can influence nearly every aspect of their lives; from where they work to how they get there, the quality of the schools in their area, and even their longevity. Today, we take a deep dive into how zoning, land use policies, and efforts like NIMBYism affect affordability, equality in education, and economic mobility in our communities. Joining us to discuss this topic is Yonah Freemark, a Principal Research Associate at the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Yonah is the Research Director of the Land Use Lab at Urban where his research focuses on the intersection of land use, affordable housing, transportation, and governance. Tuning in, you’ll learn how the Urban Institute works toward using public policy to create a brighter future for all, what it looks like to close the Black-white wealth gap in America, the need to shift our focus from policy to the needs of the individual, the importance of allowing people access to the communities they want to live in and redirecting investments into the communities that need them most, and much more! You won’t want to miss this thought-provoking conversation.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Yonah became interested in the built environment and the way people live.
• Public policy for a better future: insight into the work that the Urban Institute does.
• The impact of the Great Recession on closing the Black-white wealth gap in the US.
• Ways to address racial inequality as a result of exclusionary land use policies.
• What it means to improve equity for people across race and gender boundaries.
• NIMBYism and the role of the federal government in leveling the playing field for affordable housing development in local communities.
• The impact that county governments with a regional outlook can have on land use policy.
• Correlations between zoning policies and access to opportunity.
• A look at the Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing (MTO) initiative in Chicago.
• Perspectives on solving unjust public policies and why there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
• The power of individual actions and citizen initiatives.
• Key takeaways from this discussion and actionable advice for anyone listening.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Yonah Freemark

Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center

Urban Institute

Land Use Lab at Urban (LULU)

Yonah Freemark on X

Yonah Freemark on LinkedIn

Vincencia Adusei on LinkedIn

Vincencia Adusei on Twitter

VASE Construction

Jimmy Miller on LinkedIn

Censere Consulting

Peter Wood on LinkedIn

YIMBY Nation Email

YIMBY Nation