New UWM center aims to tackle racial inequity in urban development

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has established the nation’s first Center for Equity Practice and Planning Justice, aiming to address the city’s deep-rooted patterns of racial segregation.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the center, housed within UWM’s School of Architecture & Urban Planning, will focus on dismantling systemic barriers that have shaped Milwaukee’s residential landscape for generations.

Dr. Kirk Harris, associate professor of urban planning at UWM, will lead the initiative. “Segregation has been put in place over centuries as a function of policy, law and practice,” Harris told the Journal Sentinel. “It’s baked into the placemaking that we have done in our modern times.”

Milwaukee’s racial segregation stems from decades of discriminatory practices. Black residents faced racially restrictive covenants and government-backed redlining that denied them home loans. These policies systematically prevented Black families from building generational wealth through homeownership and restricted their housing options to specific neighborhoods.

Housing stands as the center’s primary focus. “Housing connects with everything,” Harris explained to Wisconsin Public Radio. “It connects with employment, transportation, zoning, health, and environment.” The urgency of this focus is underscored by Wisconsin’s current housing crisis, with the state needing 227,000 new housing units by 2030.

The center will tackle what Harris calls “NIMBYism” – the “not in my backyard” mentality that often opposes affordable housing developments. “There’s a perception that more diverse and inclusive communities drive down property values,” Harris told the Journal Sentinel. “But research suggests diverse communities can be viable and strong.”

Beyond housing, the center emphasizes resident-focused economic growth to prevent displacement from new investments. Harris advocates for increasing resident ownership of homes, businesses, and land within developing areas, particularly in communities historically facing disinvestment.

The initiative will serve as a resource hub for community organizations and government agencies. Through public forums on equitable economic development and research initiatives focused on zoning reforms, the center aims to transform Milwaukee’s urban planning approach.

The center will examine existing zoning laws, development plans, and housing policies that have perpetuated segregation. Research will focus on banking practices, affordable housing development, and equitable land use strategies. The center plans to compile nationwide case studies and best practices on its website.

Milwaukee is consistently ranked among America’s most segregated cities, and the center represents a significant step toward addressing its historical patterns of segregation. The National Low Income Housing Association reports that Wisconsin currently lacks 123,864 affordable rental homes, highlighting the urgent need for the center’s work.