A Voice at the Table

RETHINK Ownership
As visionaries of cities intended to serve all people, we must
recognize that the work is larger than ourselves, our teams, or a given
site. Here, we must challenge our understanding of ownership not as
inferring domination or exclusion, but rather considering ownership
within a community as a framework for empowerment and collective
engagement. If people are empowered as owners of the places
in which they live, they are more likely to hold accountability, take
action, and invest in their space over the longevity of time.
When we think about ownership, it is important that we understand
the value of planning and design as a strategy to support
marginalized communities to physically own physical space and
assets as a tool for liberation. Within the United States, Black and
brown bodies inherently experience space differently because they
are living within a landscape that was rarely designed or built for
them.
We must also actively recognize design as a process to create spaces
where people can own themselves, their stories, and livelihoods. We
must always consider how the interconnectedness of systems plays
into design outcomes. For example, recognizing that polished designs
may also warrant increased surveillance and police presence. A
society where Black and brown people are thriving is not one where
they have just been given the same things that white people have.
It will look different than what we have all come to know. Rethinking
ownership reminds us that amongst our diverse society we are not all
looking for the same physical things, but rather collectively we are all
seeking to own our narrative, histories, and cultural practices in how
we design, develop, and use space.
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