For more than 100 years, the Regional Plan Association has developed and promoted ideas to improve the economic health, environmental resilience, and quality of life of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan area. Over the course of those years, white men have predominantly filled leadership roles and have been invited to participate in events, panels, and keynote addresses. Furthermore, urban and regional planning have contributed to institutional or systemic racism within our cities, suburbs, and other communities across the nation.
With this understanding of urban planning history and cognizance of the influence of RPA on the shaping of the region in the past 100 years, it is imperative that RPA commits to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work, specifically our internal and public facing events. This statement and the following principles represent our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in RPA-led and partnered events. It should serve as a foundation for our ongoing efforts to make a positive impact in the region.
Through our events, we must:
- Accept Accountability: RPA will hold ourselves accountable for progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome feedback and will transparently report on our efforts to fulfill this commitment.
- Prioritize Diversity: We recognize and celebrate the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and wisdom which enrich planning related events. In our events, we must seek professionals and experts of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds to participate and attend our events. As a leading voice in regional planning, it is imperative that we guarantee our events and panels do not exhibit homogeneity and instead reflect the diversity that we see in our region and nation.
- Amplify Underrepresented Voices: We will actively seek out and provide opportunities for underrepresented voices and perspectives to be heard and valued. This includes promoting speakers and panelists from diverse backgrounds and generations and ensuring their voices are prominently featured.
- Engage with Communities: Our events will work to engage with the communities most affected by our work and recommendations, both in the past and in the future. Through the inclusion of community members who have been historically left out of the planning process such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, RPA can build trust and facilitate healing caused by harmful disparities and inequities caused by urban planning recommendations and policies from the past.
Engagement can also manifest as patronizing Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) for catering services, event support, and office supplies which supports local diversity and fostering economic empowerment. - Accessibility Accommodations: RPA will work to ensure that virtual events are accessible to participants of all abilities. For virtual events such as webinars, we will have closed captioning, and when possible, will arrange for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and translations in other languages to make our events accessible to all. For in person events, our team will work with accessible facilities to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This includes wheelchair ramps, accessible restrooms, and seating arrangements for individuals with mobility impairments.
- Before confirming honorees, speakers, panelists, or event details, we will consider the following questions:
- Will the honorees, panelists, speakers, or events cover topics and questions that promote diverse perspectives on the issue that will be discussed?
- Are we actively seeking individuals with varying perspectives and experiences?
- Have we taken into account elements such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability when making panelist or speaker selections?
- Have we identified and engaged with underrepresented or marginalized groups from the community who would be affected by the subject matter?
- Have we reached out to relevant community organizations or networks that can help identify diverse panelists?
- Are we avoiding tokenism and genuinely valuing the contributions of all panel members?