DrUrbanPolicy

Who is the Real Danger? Fighting Bad Policing and Bad Policy

2026-03-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

While going through my grandfather's belongings after he passed, we discovered a book of poetry he had written. One of the most intriguing elements was a series of poems regarding the advancement of Black Americans. What fascinated me was that these were written long before the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and '60s. Even in an era when lynchings still occurred and racial discrimination was legal, he remained proud of the progress being made. It makes sense; he likely knew people who had been enslaved, and he understood that the march toward full citizenship and freedom is a long one.

I found myself reflecting on this a few months ago after I was pulled over for a traffic stop for no discernible reason. I was stopped by a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer and his partner in Washington, D.C. The MPD is the District’s local police force, and being stopped without cause is a frustrating experience.

The "Talk" and the Reality of Power

Unfortunately, I have been stopped by various police several times for reasons that eluded me. As a young driver, I remember being pulled over just two blocks from the U.S. Capitol while driving my mother’s Ford Thunderbird—with her in the passenger seat. I was young and confused, but even today, I clearly recall her frustration at what she saw as blatant discrimination.

Nothing came of that incident, but it served as a stark reminder of “the talk” many African American parents must have with their children, especially their sons. It is a warning to always be careful—not just because of bullies, thieves or gangsters, but specifically to be aware of law enforcement. The lesson is that some may perceive you differently because of your race, necessitating extra caution around authority figures who may not like or trust you. Unlike common criminals or school bullies, police officers are government officials who can act with (apparent) impunity. That reality makes police misconduct and violence especially dangerous.

Shortly after my graduation from Howard University (HU), the death of Prince Jones was a constant conversation point among my fellow Bison (HU students and alumni.) He was a student driving to his girlfriend’s house, and was chased by undercover Prince George’s County police and fatally shot in Virginia in a case of mistaken identity. The officer was in an unmarked vehicle, and it was never clear if he had identified himself. Regardless, the consequences were deadly. The 16 bullet wounds in Jones’s body, including five in his back, were a haunting reminder to be careful. It did not matter that the police officer was also Black, but only that he mistakenly saw Prince as a threat and he was dead because of that. The frustration deepened when the officer was found not guilty; many of my fellow Bison feared that Prince had died in vain.

The Safety Blanket

I left the region to head away for graduate school. As a leader of a student organization, I became aware of tensions between Black students and police even in the Ivy League town of Princeton, NJ. I recall a few incidents of treatment that seemed different from my fellow students, including a bank teller who refused to cash a large check, even though I had proper ID and the check was from an account at that branch. (Unlike Oscar award-winner Ryan Coogler’s similar incident in 2022, I was able to leave without being detained by police). A few years later, I returned to the region and became a Maryland state employee. That was a transformative experience. The state police were also state employees and we were on the same team. When driving a state vehicle, they were comrades, filling up at the same special gas pumps, and even sharing friendly waves when driving by.

Because of this experience, I began carrying my state government ID in my car at all times. If an officer stopped me, it would signal that I was a "friend" rather than a threat. Though I never had to use it to save myself, that ID served as a safety blanket that made me feel safer in those potentially deadly police interactions. I kept it in my car long after I left state service, until the ink finally washed out and became illegible. It always made me feel just a bit safer.

Metropolitan Police Checkpoint in Southeast DC, August 2025

The Incident

All of that serves as the necessary background for what happened on a cold night in late 2025. Federal officers had been ordered to patrol the District by the White House, and tensions were high. I had just left AARP studios after filming a launch video for the 2025 update to the award-winning AARP Livability Index™ platform. This project is perhaps my greatest professional accomplishment— we created the first and best measure of quality of life for every neighborhood in the country. I take great pride in our annual updates, and speaking in cities and towns across the nation. In those talks, I share how communities can improve quality of life and address challenges. Of course, among the attributes we measure are personal safety and crime rates, so the perception and reality of crime was on my mind on that day.

While driving from downtown D.C. toward my home in Maryland, I traveled through the H Street corridor and onto Bladensburg Road. Suddenly, an SUV began tailing me closely. It was rush hour, and I was traveling at the 25 mph speed limit; the proximity of the vehicle felt strange and intimidating. Eventually, they passed me, and I lost track of them.

Moments later, an MPD vehicle pulled behind me and activated its lights. Since I was following all traffic laws, I initially looked for a way to move out of the way on a road with no shoulder. As I pulled into a gas station, it finally dawned on me: they were coming for me.

Following the MPD vehicle were several others, including a dark SUV that looked like the one I had seen in my rearview mirror. As the MPD officers approached, FBI agents in full tactical gear parked, jumped out and stood menacingly nearby. While their weapons were not pointed at me, their presence was an explicit display of force. They stood at a distance with their hands resting on their firearms, watching the proceedings.

The Confrontation

I turned my attention to the MPD officers. I am no longer a young man, so my primary response wasn't fear—it was anger at being stopped for no reason. However, remembering the lessons from my father, I remained calm and respectful.

During the interaction, it became clear they were searching for guns. I was driving a well-maintained, late-model two-seater with little interior space. I was wearing my best camera-ready suit. My frustration peaked; I could not imagine a vehicle less likely to be involved in gun running. But remembering Prince Jones and seeing the armed federal officers looming nearby, I kept my composure. I phrased my anger as a question: Why would you stop someone like me?

The answer was vague: "Sometimes we find guns in fancy cars." I was eventually given a warning for a minor license plate infraction and sent on my way. I waited for the officers to clear the area before leaving. In the 30 seconds I sat there, I watched four or five cars pass by with missing or obscured front plates. No one stopped them.

The Duty of Citizenship

At that point, my frustration boiled over. The interaction lasted only 15 minutes, but it ruined my day. Reflecting on it, I remembered a previous encounter on H Street. Years ago, I had asked an officer about deciphering a complicated parking sign. He told me he wasn’t worried about parking; he was “out here to catch killers.” At the time, I thought it was noble. Now, the context has shifted. I have been on H Street hundreds of times and never feared for my safety. But now, I have a new fear: they aren't just hunting killers; they are hunting me. And this time, federal officers were leading the party.

I am now an adult, a tax-paying, law-abiding citizen. I serve on boards and dedicated my career to improving quality of life across this country. I am too old to be caught up in street violence, yet I now have a revived worry related to violence: the danger posed by the police. I am convinced that federal agents directed that stop—that they saw who I was and what I was driving and instructed the MPD to pull me over. If I am right, that is a violation of my civil rights and MPD policy.

A friend in law enforcement later explained the concept of "pretextual stops"—stops for minor or obscure infractions used as an excuse to search for larger crimes, even though they have no probable cause. For the officer, it’s a fishing expedition; for the citizen, it is at best an annoyance and at worst a death sentence. Federal officers have no place in local enforcement; they lack community ties, lack local oversight, and bring their own unchecked biases. A few months later, federal officers killed two citizens in Minneapolis, confirming the potential dangers. And until this day, armed federal agents and National Guard members are patrolling DC to keep the District “safe.”

The Record

You may wonder why I am writing this months later, in March. It is because I only recently completed my interview with D.C.’s Office of Police Complaints. A friend of mine who is a decorated officer for another department reminded me that a formal complaint is the only way these incidents are tracked and addressed. I filed that complaint a few months ago.

Excerpt from my report:

It is my belief that this traffic stop was directed by the FBI and executed by MPD officers in violation of MPD policy and federal law. This practice is improper, does not make District residents safer, and must be stopped.

AARP Livability Index™ data shows that Age Friendly Process works, says new Academic Study

2026-02-10T20:34:00.006-05:00

Building a more livable world for people of all ages is a marathon, not a sprint. For over a decade, the AARP Livable Communities team has worked to provide residents and local leaders with the data-driven tools necessary to spark real change. Now, new research confirms that these efforts are paying off.

(For the full version of this article, see my post on AARP's website: "Progress in Creating Livable Communities" released last week.)

A Decade of Data and Action

The AARP Livability Index™ platform was launched ten years ago to score neighborhoods across seven key categories: housing, transportation, neighborhood, health, environment, engagement, and opportunity. In tandem, the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities has grown to over 1,000 members, each committed to a rigorous process of planning and assessing community improvements.

A recent study by researchers from Penn State and Cornell University analyzed data from 646 network communities between 2015 and 2024. The results were highly encouraging: 70% of these communities saw an increase in their overall livability score.

Where Progress is Happening

The most significant gains occurred in areas where local leaders and residents have the most direct influence:

• Engagement: This category saw the greatest improvement. By focusing on social inclusion and civic participation, age-friendly communities are making it easier for residents to stay connected.

• Neighborhood & Opportunity: Researchers found tangible improvements in safety, crime reduction, and access to essential services like grocery stores and parks.

• Inclusivity: The data suggests that as communities become more "age-friendly," they naturally become more inclusive for residents of all ages, aligning with better high school graduation rates and increased job proximity.

Navigating the Tough Challenges

While the study highlights a "collective win," it also illuminates the systemic hurdles that local efforts alone cannot fully solve. National trends—such as rising housing costs and shortages of healthcare workers—continue to put downward pressure on livability scores.

Housing (especially housing affordability) remains a particularly difficult frontier. It was the only category where scores declined across the board. However, many communities are fighting back by adopting zoning reforms to allow for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and "missing-middle" housing. While these policies take time to bear fruit, they are key building blocks for more housing supply, a broader variety of housing options, and a more affordable future.

The Path Forward

The takeaway is clear: Progress is possible when we plan, execute, and measure it. The communities that joined the AARP network and the multi-step process required by it outperformed those that did not in several key metrics. This evidence provides a powerful mandate for local officials and ordinary residents to step up and champion age-friendly policies.

As our society ages rapidly, the work of creating livable environments is more urgent than ever. Whether it’s advocating for safer streets or better transportation services, the data shows that local action creates a measurable ripple effect. By working together across all levels of government and community, we can ensure that our neighborhoods aren't just places where we live, but places where we can thrive at any age.

Housing Solutions and the Dangers of the Strawman Argument

2026-02-01T11:27:53.478-05:00

It was frustrating to read about the “right” housing affordability strategy in the Washington Post today. The article positioned those who support affordability through increasing overall housing supply on one side against those who support government policies to address housing on the other.

Your first reaction may be, “Why can't both approaches be part of the solution?” If so, you are absolutely right.

It is 2026 and we need complex solutions to our pressing societal challenges, including the cost of living, and the biggest expense for most families: housing costs. Arguing against an approach because it doesn't immediately solve all challenges when described in its simplest form is not only frustrating, but potentially misleading.

Also, the belief that there is one magical solution that will simply and quickly solve all the housing challenges we face is equivalent to the snake-oil salesperson from centuries ago - not the modern solutions we need today. Placing compatible perspectives at odds and against one another as if it is a zero-sum game is counterproductive and helps no one.

There is nothing preventing us from encouraging the construction of more housing AND taking policy actions to ensure that more people have an affordable place to live AND ensuring that communities remain livable and strong AND addressing other issues.

For example, a community can remove barriers to building ADUs in single family neighborhoods and more "middle housing" types near transit, AND add incentives for building with universal design, AND have a housing voucher program AND have design regulations and code enforcement to ensure safety and cleanliness AND build/support subsidized housing AND ensure that housing policies are applied fairly.

These are just some of the tools in the toolbox, and we must also consider many issues adjacent to “housing policy” that influence the local landscape: those related to monetary policy, economic forces, transportation, building materials and design, demographic change, development patterns, family structures, culture, historical practices and on and on. Success means interweaving housing opportunities with related concepts such as safety, healthy living, social engagement, economic opportunity and fairness for all residents.

The real solutions come from having a wide lens and harnessing actions by policymakers, industry, non-profits / philanthropy, and families / individuals. All of these perspectives go together and actions must be informed by research to be most effective. Importantly, we must prioritize and activate solutions based on what we can do and what conditions we face.

You have seen me and teams I have worked with create an index that measures communities across interrelated issues, draft model policies, support smart growth / livable community initiatives, and most importantly, champion approaches that address today's problems, consider future impacts while recognizing the impact of actions in the past, and work with a range of partners to spread the word. Addressing our housing challenges involves everyone.

At this point in our nation’s evolution, we have many complex challenges, as the easy ones have already been solved. Our housing challenges are deep and rooted in a wide range of causes, and local conditions vary. That should not make the challenge more intimidating, but instead raise the profile of addressing it.

I once took a course where we were encouraged to "yes, and" ideas - instead of shooting a potentially good idea down in its early stages, you would build on and improve it by saying “yes” to the idea and add to it to improve it. We need that approach for all of our pressing policy challenges.

If we are serious about addressing our housing needs and addressing the root causes, we would have a real national, statewide, community, and family conversation about what we could do. Let's “yes, and” the approaches that tackle parts of the challenge, and eventually, we can tackle enough of it to make a real difference. In the meantime, let's not distract ourselves by arguing about which one tactic is the "right" answer.

Rethinking the Value of Diversity after the End of Race-Based Admissions Decisions

2023-07-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

The recent Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College has sparked great discourse in the week since the decision, and in particular, fear amongst those who worry about losing a key tool to fight the legacy of discrimination and the continuing disadvantages that impact people of color in the US. In its decision, the Court’s majority ruled that admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. While a range of others, including Justices Jackson and Sotomayor, have laid out dissents and critiques of the decision, I have seen little discussion of the path forward for those who seek to ensure that more people from families and communities that have been impacted by racial prejudice over the nation’s history can benefit from a college education in the future.

You will read a different perspective here, building from experiences at four different universities – an HBCU (Historically Black College/University), a private university, an Ivy League university, and a state flagship university – all of which give evidence that the decision against race-based polices could lead to a needed rethinking and sharpening of how we focus admissions policies. For those who disagree with the ruling, there exists a silver lining—an opportunity to enhance and refine the tools we employ to strive for a future characterized by greater equity. And a rare and likely pivotal opportunity to increase awareness about the true value of diversity, and its related challenges, in institutions of higher learning. Before we can understand that opportunity, we must first acknowledge that grouping by race is a very broad tool that can hide important differences within racial groups. This is a lessons that I learned, starting with my first year in college.

When I arrived as a first-year student at Howard University, the students were almost all Black, but represented every part of the country and every income level. Beyond that, it was fascinating to learn about those who emigrated from outside of the US and how different their culture and outlook could vary from American-born students: While some related to the experiences of African-Americans, others saw themselves as wholly apart and different. As an HBCU, a course in “Afro-American studies” is part of the required curriculum, leading to many conversations inside and outside the classroom about race’s impact in society, and giving students a clear knowledge base to build upon. Those differences made it clear that all Black persons are not the same.

I remember one African-born student, who argued that because of his birthplace, he was divorced from the legacy of slavery of those born in the US - his sentiment as “apart from” other Black students wasn’t the last time that I heard of this difference. He felt disconnected from many of the perspectives, trials and challenges that many of the African-American students felt were a standard part of American life and history. This was not the only time that I heard this sentiment – I have heard this several times in college and beyond. These perceived differences - and the heterogeneity of the Black experience more generally - re-emerged in my dissertation research on suburbanization and the Black middle class, as several of my foreign-born interviewees saw themselves as different than others. If some feel that the history of centuries of institutionalized slavery and discrimination in the US didn’t apply to them, it raises the question of whether they should receive the same benefits as those who do share that history. The truth is more than skin deep.

Race Relations in the Modern South

In my junior year of college, I was a participant in a student exchange program, leaving Howard for Duke University in Durham, NC. I had left an HBCU that was founded to expand higher educational opportunities in the wake of the Civil War to take classes at a prestigious majority-white institution with a history of official discrimination and segregation and a more recent reputation of progress. It was a place where most students didn’t have the kind of background that I received at Howard on addressing race, so while I was there, I accepted an invitation to say a few words at a celebration for the first official Duke University holiday for Martin Luther King Day (well over a decade after the federal holiday took effect). It was then that I recognized how different the experiences could be for African-American students in different schools - there were many at Duke who were fighting for mere recognition that I had taken for granted.

There were more lessons that I learned at Duke - one was that a place with few Black students, those cultural differences within the Black population that were so important for distinguishing yourself at Howard became much more minor - most of the Black students seemed to know of each other and came together for key events. From my perspective, this “coming together” was necessary for University-wide changes, such as pushing for MLK Day to be fully recognized and celebrated, or even for a successful gathering of enough folks to hold a good party on a Saturday night.

I had many other takeaways from my time at Duke, but one clear memory was that in an urban policy class, I came face to face with a clear-cut example of institutional racism - one of my fellow students told the story of how their parent refused to hire Black workers after a bad experience, and wasn’t shy about doing so. It was clear that some classmates had sympathy for the parent’s perspective, while others of us (Black and white) were aghast at the story we heard. A good, eye-opening discussion followed. That was the second time at Duke that I felt that it was good for me to "be in the room" - I sincerely believe that having me and other African-American students in the class made a clear difference in what some of our white classmates learned and took from that conversation. While we all learned about each other’s perspectives, it was clear that meeting intelligent Black classmates contradicted the narratives that some had heard from their parents and others. It was also valuable to hear the perspective of those parents so that I knew more about the "real world" that my father and grandfathers tried to prepare me for: one with great opportunity, but where some people still held prejudices. This is the world that “affirmative action” policies were intended to help fix by increasing opportunity, and this was a conversation that proved the value of diversity on campus.

Socially, I had fun at Duke - I got to know my classmates from different backgrounds and learned from their experiences, I went to Cameron for some great basketball games, I attended parties with sororities that did not have chapters at HBCUs and joined the classic Myrtle Beach trip after finals. I had friendships with persons across racial groups and it became clear that diversity is crucial in higher education, especially at elite universities. I realized my classmates were the type of folks who would run the world when they graduate, and I was glad that we had the chance to interact and learn from one another. The combination of our diverse backgrounds, varying perspectives and talented faculty with sufficient resources all supported the generation of profound insights and deeper understandings across our subjects. But despite all of those good qualities at Duke, I was glad that my HBCU experiences and foundational classes had prepared me for the discussions on race and class that came up there.

Africans and African-Americans in the Ivy League

While my previous university experiences gave me an appreciation of the range of what it means to be “Black” and the value of diversity, these points were reinforced when I attended an Ivy League school where I was surprised to find fewer African-Americans than the statistics would indicate. When I arrived at Princeton University for graduate school, I found out that the main student organization for Black students was named Akwaaba - a Ghanaian word for "welcome." It was my first signal of the large proportion of Black students who were not born to African-American parents, but were from African, Caribbean, or other backgrounds. I soon realized that the "minority within a minority" group of African-Americans was not as much a part of campus life as their international colleagues. While other schools had Black student groups for years, the Princeton Black Student Union was only formed/reconstituted during my second year (there may have been a similar group decades earlier) and was less international in its focus. I became chair of the Black Graduate Caucus (a group for graduate students) around the same time, and we held several events for students and worked with university leadership on a range of issues.

Often, all individuals of African descent, including African-Americans and others from the African diaspora, are collectively categorized as "Black," concealing the diverse range of experiences and identities within this group. At Princeton, I saw that many opportunities had gone to those Black students who were not African-American, and African-Americans were not getting as many of the opportunities as the stats may have indicated. The challenge goes back to why the 14th amendment and the other Civil War Amendments were adopted: to address the freedom of enslaved people and their future as Americans. At least five Princeton Presidents owned slaves, and those enslaved persons and others like them are the ancestors of today's African-Americans. This is the legacy that Princeton and other schools like it must work to address. While I appreciate the worldwide struggle of Black persons to achieve equality, I am particularly aware of the debt that these institutions owe to African-Americans. I am not convinced that general efforts do enough to address the causes of today's racial disparities for African-Americans - the descendants of US slavery. A series of constitutional amendments, civil rights legislation and court decisions may have expanded rights, but did not close all gaps. It leads me to this conclusion:

A focus on those who have personally suffered the impacts of discrimination would better target the benefits from policies and practices meant to address that history of discrimination.

These lessons throughout my time as a student have helped me understand the value of racial diversity in education, the importance of understanding the differences within racial groups, and the potential for overestimating have served on several admissions committees over the years, and I respect that process, as getting multiple perspectives on students is important. There were many perspectives on students, and often this helped us to come to good conclusions on finalists. However, I shuddered when I saw a person identified as a “diversity candidate” who I previously knew was from an elite background and not someone who considered himself a person of color in other circumstances. I do not knock anyone for maximizing their advantage in an application process, but I thought of others who were just as qualified but faced much greater obstacles, and felt the description of “minority” candidate was far too broad to have real meaning if this person was qualifying for that advantage.

The false narrative of "deserving spots” and the false confidence from limited statistics

I have read some arguments that diversity policies, including those in this recent case, require that certain persons "take spots" from other persons, and that supporting opportunities for any one racial group harms those of other groups. I cringe every time I hear it and think of the empty argument that Jackie Robinson and others were "taking the spots” of white ballplayers. The truth is that all ballplayers who played in the majors before integration were cheated, as they banned racial diversity until the late 1940s, preventing Negro League Legend Satchel Paige from pitching against American League legend Babe Ruth. And Satchel's Hall of Fame arm deserved that chance - he would not have "taken a spot" from a white pitcher, but if he and other Negro Leaguers had been given a chance to play in the majors earlier, the quality of baseball would have been improved (despite their varying qualifications, training and other resources that weren't the same.) Similarly, no one is “owed” a spot at an elite school, and a diversity of talent improves the overall quality.

Graduation rates are high at elite schools - there are a lot of qualified people who enter, and there are a lot of resources available for all students. To dispel the myth that “less qualified” Black students are somehow taking the spots of more qualified students, a recent study has shown that graduation rates are equal to or higher than white students at several Ivy League schools, including Princeton.

Similarly to baseball, there are a lot of stats in the admissions process, and there are more talented people than there are spots. Unfortunately, the stats used in admissions are not as good at identifying the differences. There are two major issues: first is that the threshold of "likely to be successful at this university" is not a simple one. A higher SAT or GRE score doesn't translate to a better student, and any article that attacks diversity policies by using those scores is at best misleading. In courses I have taken and taught, I have seen students (many of them international) with impressive English scores on the GRE and high GPAs who fail to hold a conversation in class or express thoughts clearly, while others with similar (or lower) scores are the "glue" that holds a class together. Relying on standardized tests does not rule out the person who may has been “taught to the test” or attended an academic program that did not prepare them to debate ideas and thrive in an American university setting, particularly a graduate seminar where analysis, critical thinking and ability to express oneself is key.

Compared to my colleagues at each university I attended, I had high scores on standardized tests, and my GPA at each institution was high enough that I have academic awards and multiple degrees to show for those efforts. That gives me the confidence to say that elements such as average class rank, standardized test scores and prior GPA are individually insufficient to judge a group of students’ intelligence, ability to participate actively in an academic environment, or their future prospects.

It takes more than test scores, class rank or GPA to understand someone's potential for success, and the comprehensive approach used by many admissions committees is a better solution. To use another sports analogy: if admissions were as track and field, it would be easy. The fastest eight people would get eight spots. But the real world gets messy for college admission - a person's family situation, geographic location, health issues, financial situation, educational experiences and other pieces of their personal history add complexity to the usual measures which are not as comprehensive as it may seem. It's as if we were trying to measure speed on the track when the lanes are of varying lengths, inclines, widths and surfaces for each runner. Two people who are equally talented could have very different results. The same goes for those who are equally intelligent and capable in admissions processes. Any analysis that tells us “that X% of Y racial group with high scores were admitted” and compares that with percentages from other groups that are “less deserving” to get in is at best an oversimplification of the situation, and a dangerous base for declaring “unfair” admissions.

Moving Forward and Adjusting for the Future

Regardless of the rubric used, there are more smart people than there are spots for many elite schools, so many highly qualified people won't get in, regardless of the method used. That's the simple truth, so admissions committees have a tough job. They must select those who bring the most to their campuses, both individually and as a collective group of incoming students. To that end, we should all embrace a more complicated admission system, one that has enough of the elements to measure all the qualities that may make a student a good fit at a particular school, and include in that a consideration of the student's life experiences, their ability, and their potential. Universities must also consider the student body as a whole, and their goals around creating diverse learning environments and addressing the legacy of discrimination on their own campuses and in the world around them. I see a glimmer of hope in the words at the end of the Court’s recent decision: "At the same time, nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university."

This then puts the onus on universities to develop admission systems that consider all of the qualities and abilities that an applicant can offer and the ones that their university needs, and that should include those related to racial inequities, but not race itself. I can envision a process where a qualified applicant who has lived in a racially isolated neighborhood with poor resources and other challenges, has dealt with racism in their childhood and overcome that may be a great student of strong character that you may want at your university. It is the job of university administrators to develop processes that include that – this not only follows the Supreme Court’s decision, but reflects the fact that everyone in a racial group is not the same.

On to my final academic experience: on July 1st 2023, my term as chair of the University of Maryland School of Architecture Planning and Preservation's Board of Visitors officially ended. While I still serve on the board, I was glad that one of my final emails that came to my inbox as chair was the June 29 open letter from the President and Deans of the University responding to the Court’s decision. They described their consideration of race as one of 26 factors and explained that “we believe strongly that diversity and excellence are intertwined” and that the “educational value of campus diversity is one we will not sacrifice.” I'm glad to see that colleges such as UMD are working to move forward within the new rules set by the Court, and are committed to working towards creating the great educational experiences that their students deserve, while addressing some of the challenges of the past and present that limit opportunity.

“When the world zigs, zag” is attributed to copywriter Barbara Noakes - it is elegant in its simplicity and applicable to this case. If admissions processes partly based on race are no longer acceptable to this court, the temptation to zig and play into the fallacy that racial differences do not exist should be ignored.

Instead, we should go the opposite and appreciate all of the different forms of understanding a student’s potential for success: every student should have to write about the qualities / benefits that they would bring to a school and the community as part of the admissions process. Students of color who identify as such should be specific about the impact of race on them, including challenges that they, their families, or their communities have faced, or the impact that their academic success would have on that community. Admissions committees should develop constitutionally acceptable policies to value those statements and take into account their institution's history and need to have a diverse learning environment. As part of that, schools should own up to their histories of discrimination and/or slavery, and make special efforts to reach out to potential students in communities that were impacted by those actions. If done right, this approach would be more focused than past approaches that assumed that everyone in a racial group should be treated similarly. It’s time to zag.

Assault on the Capitol - This Cannot Stand

2021-01-10T19:35:00.000-05:00

There are certain events that become burned in our memories for a lifetime. These may be the untimely death of a loved one or a famous person for whom we felt a connection, or one that provides sudden confirmation of something that we hoped for or feared. These are the "nothing will ever be the same" events.

January 6, 2021 is already one of those days after which things will never be the same. New facts will continue to come out, but this much is clear: the Capitol of the United States was attacked by those who were attempting to disrupt Congress from certifying votes of the Electoral College. Federal legislators were forced to temporarily suspend their duties under threat of imminent physical harm, the home of our first branch of government was defaced, and people died. While it is difficult to get into all of the causes, warning signs, and individuals who are responsible without getting into the politics of the moment, those facts seem clear.

A complete list of these unforgettable experiences is hard to pin down: be they public or private, tragic events inspire a range of reactions among those who are impacted – Pearl Harbor, JFK in Dallas, MLK in Memphis, Challenger, 9/11. In 2020, there were new additions to my personal list: the protests following the death of George Floyd and the last video visit with a close friend who was dying of COVID-19 in December. Two centuries ago, I imagine those who witnessed the caning of Sen. Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate in 1856 considered it to be one of those events, as it was the one of the most violent incidents in the history of the US Capitol. Unfortunately, we now have a new one to add.

Watching a person march a Confederate flag through the Capitol is one of the images from last week that will stick with me for years to come. The photo of him marching past a portrait of Charles Sumner near the entrance to the Senate with seeming impunity is already etched into my long-term memory. If you missed it in history class, Sumner was beaten severely by a Congressional proponent of slavery for giving a fierce anti-slavery speech decrying the "Crime against Kansas" a few days prior, a 100+ page speech in which which he named names and did not mince words. After recovering, he returned to full-time legislating a few years later and continued as a proponent for the abolition of slavery and expansion of civil rights.

When I see that photo, I think of Sumner and all those who have fought for civil rights over the centuries, and those who have fought and died for our country, the Constitution and the principles of our democracy. I also think of those who used the battle flag as a symbol of resistance to civil rights in the 20th century. The return of this symbol to the halls of the Capitol is a low point.

As an American, I am angry that my democracy has been attacked. As a native Washingtonian, I am angry that my hometown was invaded by some who came to town with destruction on their minds. As a Christian, I am saddened that some have cast the motivations behind the attack in "good" vs "evil" terms, with the attackers convinced they were the "good" in that equation. As an African American, I am frustrated to see the treatment of this group as opposed to those who were protesting for civil rights and social justice this summer. The lack of sufficient security and the ease of entry into the Capitol is a stark difference from the vast numbers of National Guardsmen and armored vehicles that surrounded those protests in DC this past summer. The searing images of rioters inside the Capitol, lawmakers diving for cover, and more were rightfully shocking. For many of us, this is an extension of a difficult year in 2020.

The Challenges of Recent Times

Many Americans have faced challenges in the past year, due to lost income, lost opportunities to socialize, the health consequences of COVID or other factors, and many of us have expressed a desire to put it all behind us.

However, this time has also drawn attention to key disparities that have long existed in our communities, and the awareness of racial injustice may be at an all-time high. We could be on the verge of addressing issues that some in our community have been fighting for decades and centuries.

Just recently, I drove down US Route 1 in northern Virginia and noted that I no longer had to avoid using its former name which honored the president of a failed Confederacy - one which attempted to secede from this nation to protect state's rights to preserve slavery. In 2020, that divisive battle flag was removed from NASCAR events, properties of the United States Marine Corps, and the state of Mississippi's flag. On New Year's Day 2021, a presidential veto was overridden so that our military bases named after Confederate generals will soon be renamed. In this way, 2020 was a year of overall progress on moving past these symbols of limiting freedom - hopefully, that trend continues.

History Impacts Us Today

America is a complex web and there are many reactions to any major event. While some recent developments have left me optimistic, seeing the Capitol infiltrated by angry citizens in an attempt to reshape an election is a stark reminder that many of our fellow Americans may feel disenfranchised and seek to address that using violent means. Unfortunately, this attack is reminiscent of some of the extrajudicial actions taken at times in our past, and the threats to hang public officials are a reminder to that federal anti-lynching legislation has still not been able to pass through Congress after a century of advocation. Angry mobs are no way to govern a country or distribute justice.

We can come together and move forward, but we must address these differences and hold those accountable who caused these harms upon our nation. Attempting to use fear, intimidation and/or violence to force action by elected officials is as un-American as it gets. We cannot let this stand.

Once those who perpetrated and facilitated this act are brought to justice, we can have a real discussion of the issues behind this disconnect, and then we can begin to heal.

All posts represent the opinions of Dr. Rodney Harrell, and not those of any other individual or organization.

March on Washington 2020

2020-08-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

The 57th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom today could not have come at a more pivotal time. The spring of coronavirus and demonstrations after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis transitioned into a summer of extended and disparate impacts of the pandemic and the wake of protests at the killing of Jacob Blake by police in Wisconsin earlier this week.

This anniversary also falls the day after the two major political conventions in a pivotal presidential election, and the varied reactions to the shooting of protestors in Wisconsin by a private citizen punctuates how varied the perspectives are on social justice, policing and and a host of issues faced by Black Americans and other groups.

The frustration of many is clear - major sports have temporarily stopped as professional athletes joined in solidarity with those frustrated by Blake's killing, and other Americans look at those who take the opportunity to cause property damage and share dismay or fear about America's future.

I wasn't alive in the 1960s, but I marvel at the discipline that it took to conduct large-scale non-violent marches and sit-ins. In the current day, social media and our expansive traditional media means that everyone has a voice and that information can be carefully curated to share only the message that one wants to hear.

I always think of A. Philip Randolph and the Civil Rights leaders in the decades before the 1950s and 60s, and reflect on writings of my grandfather who was born in 1912. When he was in his 20s or 30s, he wrote some powerful poetry. I often think of that to give me perspective on progress. He was proud of how much progress African Americans had made years before the civil rights act or the Fair Housing act, and yet he faced serious racial discrimination and frustration - I remember those conversations. He believed in hard work, but he also lived the frustration of not receiving equal rights.

At the end of the day, I feel it necessary to boil things down to simple truths about civil rights

1: Every American deserves to have their constitutional rights protected, including the right to vote.

2: Voting is a crucial step in protecting interests, but it is not enough

3: Protests may express frustration, but policy is the way to create lasting change.

4: Change through policy requires many things, including development, implementation and patience.

Removing Woodrow Wilson's Name from Princeton: Looking Back to Move Forward

2020-06-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

I applaud the Princeton University Board of Trustees' decision yesterday to remove the name of Woodrow Wilson from the policy school and residential college that were formerly named for him. While this decision may appear sudden to some, the Board has carefully deliberated on this decision over a number of years. For alumni like myself, the school's reputation as a place of a world-class education in public policy has long been at odds with the mixed legacy of its eponym. As the board states, "Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school whose scholars, students, and alumni must be firmly committed to combating the scourge of racism in all its forms."

An alumni lecture in Princeton SPIA's main auditorium

Over the years, alumni have expressed varying levels of pride, discomfort and shame over the decision to continue this honor of having one of the nation's foremost policy schools named after Wilson. He was the president of the university, a governor of the state and President of the United States, and he had great and lasting policy achievements, even winning a Nobel prize for creating the League of Nations. Simultaneously, his racism was strong and clear, even for his time. He oversaw the formal re-segregation of the federal government to "protect" African Americans, a claim that was insulting to civil rights leaders of the time, including those who had formerly supported him in hopes of progress.

As William Monroe Trotter says in the quote that now adorns the sculpture in front of the School's main building, "Never before was race prejudice and race distinction made official under National Government, and never before incorporated in a National Government policy," as at that time, two generations of "Afro-Americans and other American employees have been working together, eating at the same tables, and using the same lavatories and toilets."

A quote from William Monroe Trotter in front of the Princeton SPIA

All of that changed with Wilson's administration and his public rebuffing of Trotter. This was in November of 1913 - decades after Reconstruction and other policies integrated the government and moved the nation forward. Wilson and those who shared his outlook turned the clock back on civil rights by decades. (It's no coincidence that the peak in construction of Confederate statues and the release of Birth of a Nation was all within a couple of years of this date.) The nation's progress on civil rights was threatening to many, and symbols, and policies and actions were all used in an attempt to keep African Americans "in their place."

Now, more than a century has passed. As an African American graduate of what was the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and as a former chair of Princeton's Black Graduate Caucus, I have long made peace with the fact that Wilson likely would not have wanted someone who looked like me to be a graduate of the school that bore his name. On the contrary, I have taken great pride in the fact that I use the policy education and reputation of "his" school to achieve the professional successes that I have achieved since that time, including articles on this blog, and my policy work (both in government and with social mission organizations) to advance the causes of equity and expanding choice.

Earlier this very week, I participated in a public town hall discussion on enhancing Black homeownership. In it, I shared my love of the goals of the federal Fair Housing Act: eliminating racial discrimination in housing and "affirmatively furthering" fair housing, which requires multiple levels of government to fight racial discrimination by promoting housing choice and to foster the creation of inclusive communities. Although recent protests have made it clear to all that racism continues to exist in many forms, I strongly believe that public policy is, has been, and will continue to be one of the main levers to move society forward.

While civil rights leaders like Trotter initially had high hopes for President Wilson, "fair housing" was the opposite of what he stood for, and that act took over five decades to come to fruition. I imagine that both men would be shocked to know that more than a century after their infamous conversation, I and other alumni (especially the Black alumni) would be using degrees from Wilson's school to help support those goals. I can't help but smile as I picture both of their faces making that realization.

The fact that I have used my education from a school built on Wilson's name to help me support policies that attack the same racial disparities, racism, and legacy of historical discrimination that he and others exacerbated has given me great satisfaction over the years. That pride will be not be lessened as I prepare to change my LinkedIn page and resume to reflect the newly named Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). While Princeton has had its own racial challenges over the years, this decision to rename the school gives me confidence that the current administration takes racial issues and the concerns of alumni seriously.

I hope that the sculpture confronting Wilson's complex legacy in front of Robertson Hall (and quoting critics such as Trotter) remains, and that this is not the end of changes in the policy school. I give my strong support to those alumni who are pushing for changes to the curriculum and faculty to better prepare students to help solve the issues connected to racial injustice in all of its forms, both past and present.

Princeton Black alumni gather for a group photo in October 2019

To my fellow alumni: I know that there are a range of perspectives on his overall legacy, and your personal feelings about these changes will vary from highly positive to agnostic to highly negative. At minimum, I hope that we all can understand the painful, harmful legacy of some of the policies that Wilson enacted and support the work to overcome them. You may be losing the "Woo" nickname, but we will never again have to defend why our school is named after someone whose legacy is so painful for millions.

Symbols are important, and while no one is perfect, we must be careful in who we choose to honor. Importantly, removing these honors is not the same as "removing history." Rather, it is a sign of a healthy appreciation for history, and the knowledge that legacies are not permanent. Our understanding of actions, intent and impact is rarely perfect or universal, and new information, realizations or perspectives must be considered. As a result, a school or military base or football field or other namesake may need to have a new name as the full picture becomes clear to all. As Princeton's president said today:

Princeton honored Wilson not because of, but without regard to or perhaps even in ignorance of, his racism... That, however, is ultimately the problem. Princeton is part of an America that has too often disregarded, ignored, or excused racism, allowing the persistence of systems that discriminate against Black people. When Derek Chauvin knelt for nearly nine minutes on George Floyd’s neck while bystanders recorded his cruelty, he might have assumed that the system would disregard, ignore, or excuse his conduct, as it had done in response to past complaints against him.

I could not have said it better myself. That ignorance of the impacts of racism is a problem that can and should be be fixed. Princeton is not the only community that should listen to varied voices, learn and reassess who we choose to honor, and take actions to address the injustices that face many of our fellow Americans. We must put "people first," which requires us to understand and consider how different groups are impacted by policies and actions and then find the best path forward. Anything short of that is policy malpractice.

Wilson's legacy, both in international affairs and domestic policy, is full of lessons, both good and bad, and should be studied. Statues, buildings and schools are long-lasting honors, and while all history should be studied, every piece of our history is not equally worthy of our highest forms of celebration.

No accomplishment wipes away the flaws of the individual, but every action adds to each person's full story. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to respect that full story.

We cannot let the fear of losing our history limit us, and I hope that this and other examples help lead the nation in this healthy re-evaluation process. To those of us who have spent generations fighting systematic injustice, and especially those who hoped to get a recognition that the lives of Black people matter just as much as others, the tradeoffs are more than worthwhile.

This is the urgent issue of our time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rodney Harrell,
Princeton SPIA Class of *02

5 Tips From the Other Side: My Speech at the University of Maryland MAPP Graduation

2018-12-19T19:28:00.003-05:00

Commencement speech as delivered to the graduates of the University of Maryland's School of Architecture Planning and Preservation by Dr. Rodney Harrell on December 19, 2018:

Good afternoon graduates, faculty, staff, family and friends. It is my honor to be with you today. They say the best graduation speeches are short, focused and future-oriented, so naturally, I’ll start with something over 200 years ago. I used to work with the Maryland Heritage Areas Program. It was there that I learned about Riversdale, a mansion from the early 1800s located just a couple of miles from here. You don’t see a lot of houses like that - It strikes you as odd to see this Federal period mansion with these great Tuscan columns just a few blocks from Route One, and then you realize the massive scale of the plantation that it belonged to, which includes the ground that we stand on today. It makes me think of how much has changed around here since that time – slavery and tobacco crops no longer exist, and all of the homes, apartments, infrastructure, businesses and towns that you know (including this University) were built since that time.

Since then, transportation technology has steadily developed, along with architectural styles, planning practice, our understanding of sustainability, preservation, social justice, considerations of smart growth, and many of the concepts that you, I and previous generations of students have learned about over the five decades that this School has existed.

Today is different. We are in a unique position as we are seeing fundamental shifts that will make the next 30 years very different, and these changes will impact the buildings and communities that you work on in the future. I’ll mention two that are top of mind for me: First, our demographics are changing. Many places in the country are becoming more diverse in many ways, but one type is clear: age. For the entire time that we have been building in America (since before the time of Riversdale), younger people have outnumbered older people in the US. This is one of those facts that we take for granted and have established as “just the way things are.” It shapes our assumptions about who we are building for and what we need.

In 2030, people over age 65 will outnumber those under 18 for the first time in US history. That is a huge shift – we have been able to get away with the assumption that there won’t be that many older adults around for centuries. The steps and narrow doorways at Riversdale and in many homes built recently don’t serve us all very well. Neither do communities with few transportation options. This is one example of the ways that we have designed our communities has led to limited choices, isolation and other poor outcomes for many residents. We need to ensure that we have housing and communities to meet the needs of all, including the 70+ million older adults, and that will not happen overnight.

Another shift is the confluence of big data, machine learning and other technologies that lead us to everything from smart devices and apps of today to the autonomous vehicles and who knows what else of tomorrow - these advancements will reshape our communities and this can have impacts on housing patterns and communities that we don’t fully understand yet. I am a believer that these changes will fundamentally shift how we get around and where we live - how our homes and communities are shaped and designed. How will we build, market and locate housing, business and other structures that meet our needs? That’s where many of you will come in.

I want to give you one vision for the future – this one shapes my work. It is one of a truly livable community that provides options that meet the needs of all residents across the spectrums of income, age, physical ability, ethnicity and other factors. The hard truth is that housing and community choices are limited by a range of factors and every discipline in this school contributes to creating the kind of communities in which people and families can grow and thrive within. People should not be forced out of communities because they do not have options that work for “people like them.” The idea is that it is our collective responsibility to work to create communities with a range of options that and meet the wide range of needs that residents have – these things don’t happen without the work of dedicated professionals.

I wouldn’t be doing my job as a speaker if I didn’t close with some advice. I talked to some of my colleagues in each of the school's areas, and I have consolidated the top five here.

1. Take risks, be brave, bring new perspectives, and be proud of it. We held a design competition for a home that supported people of all ages into the future and Junior Architects from NY beat out many more experienced teams to win.

On a different front, it took me years to get the idea of using social media for policy work to catch on when I started my Twitter and blog, but now, that is how AARP reaches the majority of its policy audience. Don’t be limited in your thinking – if your idea is good enough, go for it.

2.     Learn from past experiences, your own and others, but don’t be limited by them. In other words, reach for tomorrow but look to the past. Everything that happened in the past got you to where you are today and hidden in every setback is a lesson. Just because something didn’t work in the past, doesn’t meant that it won’t work with the right tweak or different circumstance. A huge timesaver is to learn from other’s experiences. As someone once said, there is not enough time to make all of the mistakes in the world – you must learn from others

What is important is to learn from mistakes. We have all made them and luckily, my time limits me from telling you details, but there are meetings, decisions and memos that I would take back if I could, but all of those things helped me to get where I can.

3.     Start with a strategy, but be willing to adapt it. Be open to all options. I learned this from one of my uncles – you should always have a plan. Inevitably, you will have to adjust the plan, but having one gives you focus. I talked to some friends in historic preservation, and “be willing to move to a new location or consider something unexpected” was their single biggest piece of advice, but it applies to all of us – in a limited job market, you may need to move for the job that you want.

Sometimes that move isn’t a physical one. I had no intention of working for a social mission organization focused on aging, but it was a good fit. My all-ages perspective helped as AARP developed their livable communities philosophy and programs. A single-minded focus would have meant that I missed out.

4.     Always be solution-oriented, but recognize there are no silver bullets – It’s easier to find problems, but personal and larger scale success comes in finding solutions. If something can be improved, don’t stop searching until you find the right answer. I just visited with architects and urban planners in California who have been working for years to find a way to make a dent in their housing shortage, and they have found Accessory Dwelling Units address several needs – we are working collectively with national groups now to promote that work. It won’t solve all needs, but becomes a tool in the toolbox.

5.     Take in all advice, but don’t follow all advice. Consider the source and some filter as appropriate, but you never know how or when something will resonate in your life. Even now I reflect on advice from years ago that I didn’t appreciate at the time.

You face a different world than previous generations do. This school’s focus on multidisciplinary approaches to the built environment put you in a great position. I and the other alumni are incredibly proud of the awards and competitions and honors that have been achieved, but all of you leave here with the tools that you need to start to shape that future. Trust me when I tell you that coursework and projects that you didn’t think were relevant will serve you well as you face future challenges – a conceptual framework that I came up with for a class assignment here eventually became the framework of the world’s first nationwide neighborhood Livability Index over a decade later. Concepts, techniques, theory and research and skills that you have learned serve as a foundation for what you can learn and do later on.

And now for the proof that you can learn from the mistakes of others – after you receive your diploma, don’t forget to pause for the photo. To this day, there is no photographic evidence that I actually graduated. Learn from my mistake!

Congratulations to all of you – everyone in this room is proud of you, and the world can use the lessons that you have learned and the ideas that you will create. My challenge to you all is to take what you have learned and apply it to some problem out there – there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you made a difference.

The "Boom" in Golden Girls-Style Shared Housing: Where’s the Beef?

2014-06-09T21:35:00.001-04:00

NBC, Touchstone Television and their partners should be proud– it has been 22 years since the final episode aired, yet the influence of The Golden Girls means that every year reporters ask about the boom in “Golden Girls Housing.” This form of shared housing receives a great amount of attention, but we'll miss the big picture if we look for big numbers.

For the last few years, I have looked at data from the Current Population Survey (analyzed by the AARP Public Policy Institute) to count households that are all female (or all male) with at least one non-related housemate or roommate, no spouses, and no one under 50 in the home. This is the classic “Golden Girls” formula.

The result has become familiar: a very small portion of the population lives in a “golden” situation, around one percent. The small numbers of people in those situations means that it’s hard to figure out whether it has become more popular. Though the percentage appears to be holding steady, the number of golden households has grown due to population growth – we estimate that in 2000 there were about 780,000 persons in golden households and by 2013 that had grown to 1 million. (There are over 104 million persons age 50 or older.) It’s entirely possible that people are seeing more of these households as time marches on, but it’s not quite a “boom” yet.

The focus on the rise of golden households may be misplaced – the question may not be about the number of people currently in these households, but the potential of shared housing to meet the housing needs of a growing group of people. Shared housing is one of the range of options that can help people address the fact that their homes and communities may not work well for them as they age.

What Is a Livable Community, and How Do We Measure One?

2014-04-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I kicked off AARP Public Policy Institute's Livability Index project with a blog and two papers on new project webpage: bi.tly/LivIndex. The PPI blog, "What Is a Livable Community, and How Do We Measure One?" introduces the project to the world.

You may have wondered why I haven't been writing as much lately, and this project is what has been keeping me busy recently. In a way, this has been keeping me busy for years.

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"What Is Livable? Community Preferences of Older Adults" Media Release

2014-04-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

The AARP media release for one of my most recent reports, "What is Livable? Community Preferences of Older Adults":

April 25, 2014

Media Contact:

Nancy Thompson

media@aarp.org

(202) 434-2506

NEW AARP REPORT OUTLINES WHAT OLDER AMERICANS WANT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, HOW MANY ARE THINKING OF MOVING

Washington, D.C. – The vast majority of people age 50 and older plan to remain living independently in their communities, a new report from the AARP Public PolicyInstitute concludes. The report which surveyed boomers and older adults found that both value secure neighborhoods, safety, good schools, safe streets for walking, access to transportation, parks and affordable housing as community qualities. With these resources in place, communities enhance personal independence and foster resident engagement in community civic, economic and social life, qualities that AARP has traditionally used to describe the livability of a community. Most importantly, these resources allow residents to age in place successfully.

Reflections on the Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement

2014-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

On its face, Martin Luther King Day is a holiday dedicated to the memory of one of the key figures in American history. Recently, it has become popular as a "National Day of Service" and an opportunity to give back to the community. For me, its greatest significance is as a day to reflect on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and how America has changed (and not changed) since Martin Luther King, Jr's time.

The King Memorial in Washington, DC

As I referenced in an earlier post on the anniversary of the March on Washington, King's "March to Freedom" began with the Emancipation Proclamation 151 years ago during the midst of the Civil War. Some may say the movement ended at one of several key moments: the passage of the Civil Rights Act 50 years ago, The Voting Rights Act the next year, the creation of the Martin Luther King Day holiday or the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.

Culturally, Doug Williams' accolades as the first Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl and Tony Dungy as the first head coach of color to win the Super Bowl were both heralded as key barrier-breaking moments. The end could be when Oprah Winfrey became a billionaire or the moment that hip-hop culture achieved crossover status or one of many other moments. A quick google search will find over 100 million online articles for "post-racial America," with the vast majority dating created since Obama's nomination as the Democratic candidate in 2008.

Tales from a Condominium Association: Rising fees, the Budget Squeeze and 5 Pieces of Advice

2014-01-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

I recently had a conversation with Tara Bahrampour of the Washington Post as part of her research for "Rising community association fees are squeezing homeowners on tight budgets," the main Metro section article in Sunday's Washington Post. I was pleasantly surprised to have this conversation: the article notes that over 63 million are residents in community associations, and relatively little attention has been paid to how they work.

Screenshot of article on washingtonpost.com

Rising fees can be problematic for many residents - here's the excerpt that came from our conversation:

In the past four decades, the number of condominiums, co-op units and houses that are part of homeowners associations has skyrocketed across the nation, from 701,000 in 1970 to 25.9 million in 2012, according to the Foundation for Community Association Research.

The foundation does not categorize ownership by age, but an analysis by AARP’s Public Policy Institute in 2003 found that 46 percent of owners in single-family homeowners associations were older than 50, as were 56 percent of condo and co-op owners.

For homeowners who are retirees or who plan to retire soon, the fee hikes can be particularly onerous, said Rodney Harrell, a senior adviser at the institute.

Adding to the burden, the number of homeowners 50 and older who own their homes free and clear fell between 2000 and 2009, according to an institute report. And in the lowest income group of people 65 and older without mortgages, 58 percent of them were spending at least a third of their income on housing.

Housing Strategies for Veterans (and the rest of us)

2013-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

"On the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month" - 95 years ago, the Great War ended and later Veterans Day (originally Armistice Day) was born as a celebration of the outbreak of peace. I've always enjoyed thinking about the duty of veterans in that context.

Different faces of veterans (photo from VA.gov)

Several generations of my family (along with a few friends and classmates) have served in the Armed Forces, and today is a day to thank them and their their fellow service-members for their service. It's also a great American custom to separate celebrations of Memorial Day (for those that have passed on) from Veterans Day to have a special day to celebrate those who are living (countries that celebrate Remembrance Day generally combine both). Since attention is focused on veterans today, this is a time of year that we hear stories about the challenges that veterans face. One can expect to hear about health care problems, the high suicide rate of veterans (22 a day), and the long backlogs of VA claims.

I don't focus on those policy areas, but I am always struck by the fact that they share similarities with problems faced by other Americans. The Veterans Administration was created in 1930 to "consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans" in an attempt to streamline bureaucracy in regards to claims and other issues. On that same VA history webpage, we can read that the current administration is focused on 16 major initiatives, and the first one listed is "Eliminating Veteran homelessness." The overlap of that initiative with general efforts to end homelessness is clear. There are many factors that enter into homelessness, but I agree with the National Alliance to End Homelessness that "the main reason people experience homelessness is because they cannot find housing they can afford."

Quick thoughts: September 11 - A day of remembrance, mourning and service

2013-09-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

Today is September 11. Twelve years ago, we witnessed moments that few of us will ever forget.

Today has been called a day of remembrance, a day of mourning, and a day of service. I think that it's a great sign of American resilience that we can use one day to spur us to do all of these things. As with many of our holidays, we can do more than one thing at a time.

Using today as a "day of service" means committing to do something to help improve the lives of others. That is a very noble task, and one kind of fitting tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th and those who sacrificed their lives in service after that day.
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Finding the right solutions for the right time - Policy reflections on Civil Rights

2013-08-28T12:00:00.005-04:00

The March on Washington happened 50 years ago today, and its anniversary has me thinking about the policy lessons from the struggle for civil rights. There are dozens of lessons from a struggle that goes back at least 150 years, yet one theme emerges: The strategy to accomplish a goal depends on time, context, resources and opportunity - there isn't a one-size-fits all solution or a single policy solution to solve major issues or meet major goals.

Dr. King starts off his speech by referencing the Emancipation Proclamation as the beginning of the march to freedom, and discusses the defaulted-upon "promissory note" that was promised by the Declaration of Independence. While the Emancipation Proclamation has great symbolic weight, eliminating slavery took more - it required a 13th constitutional amendment. (This story was compelling enough to be the focus of the recent Lincoln movie.)

Policies to meet the major national goal of equality for African Americans began with that and the other Reconstruction Amendments (14 and 15) and continues until this day, demonstrating a clear example of the need for multiple strategies that change over time to achieve a goal. Let's look at just a few of the national-level landmarks of the civil rights movement:

The March on Washington (see video above) is an example of public pressure and movement-based legislation. It's a good strategy when you have A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Jr., momentum on basic civil rights and the timing to make things happen. Executive and Congressional willpower to lead were two other factors. When I watched the pre-march episode of Meet the Press, featuring MLK and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, it reminded me that many, including some in the Civil Rights movement, were unsure about the March on Washington. There were some fears of violence, and it wasn't clear how many people would show up or what kind of difference it would make. One can empathize with older civil rights leaders of the time who worried that this strategy was too risky and that a violent or poor outcome might cost them the smaller gains that they had already made.

2013 March on Washington. Picture Courtesy of Bob Weddington

The March ended up being a great thing for the public relations of the movement, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed, in part as a result of this strategy, as successors to earlier laws that were passed during Reconstruction and later repealed or circumvented.

A decade earlier, a court-based strategy came to a climax in Brown v Board of Education after decades of work on cases that argued against "Jim Crow" laws that undercut civil rights despite the existence of the Reconstruction Amendments. This was a good strategy when one has the legal minds of Thurgood Marshall, Charles Hamilton Houston and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a set of good cases and a Supreme Court that is amenable to change. So a wartime proclamation, Constitutional amendments, a social movement, and major legislation were all strategies that helped move the cause forward over a century.

We don't need to look at that wide time-frame to understand the need for multiple strategies: this summer's experience with the Voting Rights Act is a demonstration of the need for evolving strategy. From 1965 until this June, the Act's strategy of putting the burden on certain states and jurisdictions to get federal approval for changes to voting was a relatively effective strategy, by preventing state laws that limited voting from ever being enforced. Earlier this year, Section 4 of the Act was struck down by the Supreme Court, taking that tool out of the toolbox. Once that strategy was eliminated, the Justice Department enforced the provision that allows the United States to take States to court and sued Texas over their new voter ID law. This process is less efficient, and requires more lawyers, but it can achieve the goal of getting closer to barrier-free voting for all. The strategy had to change as the context did.

I'm not going to try in this post to give an exhaustive review of all the things that moved America forward on civil rights or to explain the causes behind those actions, but this brief look makes it clear that one strategy does not fit all. The lesson for other policy goals is that it often takes several strategies and a range of tactics to get the job done. I'll look at a few non-civil rights examples of this in my next post.

What reactions did you have to the anniversary? You can follow me @DrUrbanPolicy on twitter and facebook, I'm happy to continue the conversation below or on social media.

Becoming a "More Perfect Union"

2013-07-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day!

I've talked about a number of challenging issues on the DrUrbanPolicy blog: decreasing housing affordability, the need for better policies on infrastructure, gentrification and segregation, the need to plan better for our future, political corruption, the problems we face from lazy legislation and gerrymandered districts and more. A discussion of policy change usually often means discussing problems - if there was no problem, there would be no need for policy to address it. Some may think about the challenges and be down on America - I opened the Washington Post this morning to read an article from a Canadian historian who gave his perspective that the American Revolution was a failure.

This week's overthrow of the Egyptian government and the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg are reminders of how unstable government can be. A century and a half ago, the country was torn in two, and Egypt's military just dissolved their government. The problems that I usually write about are crucial to people's lives, but they are nothing compared to the challenges of a revolution or civil war. For that reason, I am positive about America and our future - we still have many challenges, but hard-working people are trying to address them, and we have a stable and open government that allows change to happen.

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The Wilson Bridge and Lessons for Infrastructure Investments

2013-06-26T21:00:00.000-04:00

The "new" Woodrow Wilson Bridge project on I-495 (completed in 2008) is an example of a major infrastructure project that fixed problems of the present (capacity and age issues of a relatively low drawbridge on a major highway connection between Maryland and Virginia) and added improvements for the future.

Infrastructure and "Age-Proofing" - What Does Preparing for Aging Mean?

2013-06-14T13:54:00.002-04:00

As you know, I have a special place in my heart for bringing multiple topics together. Soon after I wrote "Can We Do More Than One Thing at a Time?," the AARP team was contacted by Emily Badger of Atlantic Cities to talk about aging and what that meant for cities. She later wrote an article tying together infrastructure concerns and aging issues, "The Next Big Infrastructure Crisis? Age-Proofing Our Streets" on the Atlantic Cities site. That piece was the most popular article on their site for a day or two, and at this point, it has about 900 likes, shares and +1s on social media, including a couple from me.

I'm quoted in her article: "'Whenever I talk about our policy prescriptions," says Rodney Harrell, a senior policy adviser for housing with the AARP Public Policy Institute, "I say, 'we're going to help you do now what you're going to be forced to do then.' Because you're not going to be able to hide when you've got 20-plus percent of your population over 65. That's a huge portion of the population that's going to come.'"

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Can We Do More Than One Thing at a Time?

2013-05-27T18:00:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day has always fascinated me as an example of a US holiday that serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it's a day of remembrance for those who died in service to the country, and it's also a day to celebrate the coming of summer with cookouts, trips to the beach and family vacations. Somehow, we as a community are capable of doing all of that on one day. Today is a reminder that Americans are capable of doing multiple things at once.

Despite our ability to do multiple things at once, we don't always use it, and one of my largest frustrations as a policy advisor is when we don't multitask well, especially when it comes to preparing for the future. Last week, an Interstate 5 bridge collapsed over the Skagit River in the state of Washington. The bridge was "functionally obsolete" before a truck hit it and it collapsed. No one was injured in this incident, but other failures have led to loss of life, including the I-35W bridge failure in Minnesota nearly six years ago.
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AARP Blog: What's Happened to Housing Affordability?

2013-05-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

I wrote my first solo post for the AARP Public Policy Institute blog yesterday, "What's Happened to Housing Affordability." Those of you that are regular readers of DrUrbanPolicy may remember that I first wrote about the different perspectives on housing affordability in "'Housing's Back' Or is it? Understanding Measures of Housing Affordability" back in January when the National Association of Realtors released their Housing Affordability Index results for the last year.

As in my earlier post on DrUrbanPolicy, I focus in on the difference between the NAR definition of "housing affordability" and my own.One thing that has troubled me through the years is that many people think of "affordability" at the initial time of purchase, but they then ignore the month-to-month costs down the road. As the chart below shows, a higher percentage of homeowners and renters are "housing-cost burdened" than at the beginning of the century.
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The Challenge of Making Homes More Accessible (#UDS5)

2013-05-08T18:56:00.003-04:00

I didn't return to St. Louis for the 5th Universal Design Summit (#UDS5) this year, but following along from a distance has been great - the increased use of social media since 2010 has made that much easier. I'll use this occasion to share a few of my thoughts on creating more housing that meets UD goals with you. First, some UD 101 for those who are unfamiliar: In housing, universal design's goal is to make homes more accessible to all people who might use the home, making special design or adaptations unnecessary if someone living in or visiting the home has physical difficulties or disabilities. (See the AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet on UD for more)

The picture to the left represents one of the simplest examples of universal design - an outlet at a reachable height that passes the "hammer test."

If you look around the internet for advice on how high to place an outlet from the floor, you'll see several recommendations to use the traditional method - placing the outlet box one hammer's height from the floor. This outlet in my office is higher than my trusty hammer, making it easier to reach from a seated position. This simple step has made it easier to use for me, and if the next person to use this office uses a wheelchair, she would be able to reach it without much trouble. Similarly, light switches can be placed at a reachable height, doorways can be constructed with a 32" wide clear opening, bathrooms and kitchens can be built with enough space (60" diameter) to provide a turning radius for someone who would be in a wheelchair or use another device, and entrances can be built that don't require steps.

AARP Blog: 10 Principles for Creating Age Friendly Communities

2013-04-19T20:00:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post here on the DrUrbanPolicy blog, Jana Lynott and I recently kicked off the AARP Public Policy Institute blog with a list of our "10 Principles for Creating Age-Friendly Communities."

Social Media, Livability and More (including the #APA13 preview)

2013-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Chicago

Hello All - As I write this, DrUrbanPolicy.com has had over 6500 visitors to my essays and other posts, and I thank each and every one of you for stopping by. Those of you who are regulars may have noticed that I haven't been writing as many essays in recent months. You may think it's because of my busy spring travel schedule, but that's only part of the story: Today, as I head to Chicago for the American Planning Association Conference (aka #APA13), I have a few announcements to share that will explain why I've been so busy. (By the way, I hope that you are still stopping by regularly to check up on what I've been doing on facebook, twitter, pinterest and LinkedIn)
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Efficiency and Affordability: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

2013-04-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting often lately, as things have been pretty hectic. I did receive a question the other day about topic that I haven't spoken about here: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and it inspired me to write a quick post. These are sometimes known as "accessory apartments," "mother-in-law suites" or "granny flats" - they are ways to provide more housing options in existing neighborhoods by allowing homeowners to build additional units on their lots. ADU is a catch-all term for all of these situations - either units attached to existing homes or placed somewhere else on the property, say over a garage or a stand-alone in the backyard.

AARP and HUD publications on ADUs
(Links to originals within post)

They are part of the range of housing options that help to ensure that people of all ages, including older adults, can meet their needs. AARP's model ordinance on ADUs was written by staff at the American Planning Association and was an attempt to find a set of regulations that would meet livability goals. Although this is an older publication, it does a good job of providing a foundation for creating a successful ADU program. When done well, ADUs have advantages - one can provide a place for a "mother-in-law" or other relative to stay close to loved ones. For an older person with declining incomes and growing housing affordability challenges, renting out a unit or moving a friend or relative onto your property can help with those costs (see Housing's Back, or Is It? for more on affordability challenges facing the 50+ population). You can read more about AARP's housing philosophy and the related public policies at www.aarp.org/policybook (Chapter 9) - AARP's policy expressly says that states and localities should look to the model act to create legislation to support ADUs.