A Timely Shift in Urban Planning: Calls to Action Address Anti-Black Racism and Inequities in the Profession

Following the murder of George Floyd, many professional organizations and disciplines released statements vocalizing their support and solidarity of Black Lives Matter during the re-emergence of the civil rights uprising and the devastating impacts COIVD-19 was having on Black communities throughout North America. Urban planning institutions, schools and professionals slowly began releasing statements as a way to be accountable to the public and share their specific anti Black racism agenda. This paper explores the calls to actions as well as specific planning policies and processes that have played a role in perpetuating inequities within our build environment. The intention of this paper is to bring light to various inequities that have emerged as a result of the planning profession, but also to display the progress that has been made by the profession following the devastating murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020.