The young field of regional equity asserts that it is at the regional level – i.e. Los Angeles County – where real progress can be made to reduce socio-economic disparities. Regional equity makes three assumptions: analytically urban problems are created by metropolitan patterns of development, practically community economic development strategies like workforce housing may be more effective at this level (rather than focusing locally or nationally), and politically stronger coalitions can form due to the confluence of a broad cross-section of interests. PERE’s work in this area has been two-fold: (1) advancing academic theory on regional equity, particularly as related to regional economic strength, and (2) creating research partnerships with community organizers to advance their policy campaigns. Our partners have included: PolicyLink, CAUSE Ventura, the Community Coalition, and others.
Projects in this research area are:
