Addressing the Equity Issue to Boost the Local Economy

An approach to forging the linkage between education and local economic development, or at least seeing the possible linkage there, arises from three developments within the [land use]"planning" area. For thirty-five years there have been attempts to try to broaden the view of land use planners so as to include a broader social component in the equation.

First, there is the social equity movement tries to achieve social equity in planning by trying to close the gap between the socially enfranchised and disenfranchised segments of society, usually by focussing special attention on the needs of the latter.

Second there is the progressive planning movement with its mother organization, Progressive Network, operating within the planning profession. They focus on "equity, empowerment, advocacy, and sustainability" and draw heavily from "the words of Saul Alinski, Paulo Friere and Paul Davidoff" (Klump, 1998).

A third related movement is the Advocacy Planning movement started by Paul Davidoff in 1965. Joel Simeon Kurzman's article on its history and relationship to Social Work practice brings its unique emphasis on advocacy for the disenfranchised in the inter-professional reality we all live in. Although Davidoff's emphasis on "choice" as the key aspect of planning (making it by definition a political activity), and his insistence on the inclusion of the voice of the disenfranchised in the planning equation, his movement did run into opposition from people who preferred to speak for themselves rather than have an advocate.

The philosophy and approach of the people in these three movements can also be seen in the education field, especially amongst those who make the connection between training and education and the workplace. They see that the disenfranchisement of subgroups of people in the community in the educational sphere is directly related to their economic disenfranchisement, and seek to bring about change.

Brandon's YMCAY and school program and breakfast in the schools are two examples of the linkage of "social action" based programs, with social equity based underpinnings, aimed at assisting in educational enhancement, and ultimately a better educated workforce. It may seem to some to be a round- about way to bring about development to a local economy, but to others, it is a very practical and "do-able" approach. http://www.brandonsd.mb.ca/info/stserv2/

• Advocacy Planning
• Equity Planning
• Progressive Planning
• Educational Funding Initiatives
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