The pandemic-induced recession has disproportionately affected people of color because of historic and ongoing structural racism—the policies and practices that have caused deep racial disparities in access to wealth-building opportunities and upward mobility. That’s why centering equity and inclusion is critical to economic recovery. But as local leaders make policy and programmatic decisions to advance economic recovery, how can they also dismantle these long-standing inequities?

In 2018, Urban Institute scholars sought to learn from communities that harnessed economic recovery to advance inclusion following the 2008 recession. They defined an inclusive recovery as one in which “a place overcomes economic distress in a way that provides the opportunity for all residents—especially historically excluded populations—to benefit from and contribute to economic prosperity” and ranked US cities on economic and inclusion measures. Since then, efforts have built upon this body of work to help local leaders understand trends and make decisions that advance inclusive recovery.

Our new brief expands on that definition of inclusion, adding a focus on outcomes in addition to processes. It also incorporates equity, focusing on how policies can promote fair treatment and equal access across a range of identities, with an emphasis on racial equity, given the significant role of structural racism as a driver of poverty and economic instability in the United States.

To promote equitable policies and programs for an inclusive economic recovery, local leaders can take the following approaches to guide their decision-making.

  1. Address policies and programs with harmful impacts
  2. Target supports and opportunities to historically excluded communities
  3. Explore policies that can eliminate structural barriers

Read the full article about centering inclusion in economic recovery by Madeline Brown at Urban Institute.