Creating and
Sustaining Diversity
in the 21st Century:
Lessons from the
Neighborhoods
Important time in U.S.
history
We are becoming a more diverse nation
By 2050 it is projected that the U.S.
population will be 50% “minority”
And there is increased
acceptance of diversity
According to a 1997 Gallup Poll:
61% of all Whites & 83% of all Blacks in the
U.S. stated that they would “rather live in a
neighborhood with both black and white
families.”
When Whites were asked if they would move if
Blacks “moved into the neighborhood in great
numbers,” only 18% reported that they would
move. [In 1967 this figure was 72%.]
Increased acceptance of
diversity
A 1997 Boston Globe poll found that:
“Almost 90% of blacks, whites, Latinos, and
Asians say they have developed friendships that
cross racial and ethnic lines”
“Although many Americans still chose to live
with their own ethnic or racial groups, strong
majorities of all colors profess tolerance of other
races and ethnic groups”
Existence of stable,
diverse neighborhoods
Racially, ethnically, and economically
diverse communities exist in many cities
Bucking the stereotype that a
diverse neighborhood=a “changing”
neighborhood
What factors contribute to stable
diversity?
Research focusing on the
positive story
Focus on policies & strategies that have
brought and can bring about stable
diversity to urban neighborhoods
We know there is greater demand for
diverse neighborhoods than there are
diverse neighborhoods available
By presenting positive examples of stable
diversity, we can short circuit notion that
diversity is only a temporary point in
resegregation
The Study
Coordinated by the Loyola University
Center for Urban Research and Learning,
the Policy Research Action Group, and the
Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open
Communities
A collaborative university:community,
researcher:practitioner effort
Funded by HUD
The study
“Diversity” is defined as how close each
tract came to the whole city’s racial and
ethnic composition
“Stable” is defined as approximating this
diversity for two consecutive census years
(1980 and 1990)
Which communities did we
study?
Fourteen neighborhoods in nine cities
Place US map with
studied cities here
Which communities did we
study?
New York City
Jackson Heights, Queens
Fort Green, Brooklyn
Philadelphia
West Mt. Airy
Memphis
Vollintine-Evergreen
Which communities did we
study?
Milwaukee
Sherman Park
Chicago
Rogers Park
Edgewater
Uptown
Chicago Lawn (Marquette Park)
Denver
Park Hill
Which communities did we
study?
Houston
Houston Heights
Oakland
Fruitvale
San Antonio
Seattle
Southeast Seattle
Common Characteristics
“Attractive” Physical Characteristics
Mixture of types of diversity
Within blocks
Small pockets of racial/ethnic homogeneity
Presence of “social seams”
Residents’ awareness of their community’s
stable diversity
Community-based organizations
contributing to maintaining diversity
Common Characteristics
Moral or value-oriented component to
community organization/institution
involvement
Efforts to spur economic development
Common Challenges
transition from older to younger residents
addressing community disinvestment
community safety
schools
Common Challenges
Transition from older to younger residents
Addressing community disinvestment
Community safety
Improving quality of education
Two models of diversity
Diversity by Direction
Diversity by Circumstance
Diversity by Direction
Emerged out of civil rights movement of
the 1960s
actively market themselves
as diverse
developed an array of
community organizations,
social networks, &
institutional accommodations
to sustain diversity
Diverse by Direction
Community-based organization
intervention:
promoting positive perceptions
affirmative marketing programs
monitoring fair housing laws
addressing quality of life concerns
Religious congregations play prominent
role
Social seams well developed
Diverse by Direction
More political and financial resources
Working relationships with banks and real
estate agents
Emergence of strong leadership within
community
Bi-racial or bi-ethnic, rather than multiracial/ethnic character
Diversity by Circumstance
Community has not worked directly to
develop/sustain
its diversity: the
community happens
to become diverse
Diversity by Circumstance
Result of economic & social processes not
directly related to resident or community
organization actions, such as:
 gentrification stalled by poor real estate market
 establishment of port of entry for new immigrants
 revitalization of adjacent areas/spill-over investment
 transition because of aging population
 development of affordable housing
Social seams not as visible or as strong
Diversity by Circumstance
Multi-racial and/or multi-ethnic diversity
Network of community organizations that
represents different ethnic/racial group
interests
Diversity by Circumstance
Lower median income
Affordable housing
represents larger
portion of housing
stock
Diversity by Circumstance:
meeting the challenges
Religious
institutions act as
bridges between
multiple ethnic
groups
Developing efforts
to weave together
various ethnic and
racial groups
Recommendations &
Conclusions
Develop strategies to strengthen
community-based organizations
Establish regional networks of diverse
communities
Create leadership training institutes
Public & private agencies should earmark
resources specifically for diverse
communities
Recommendations &
Conclusions
Increased receptivity to new immigrant
groups
Maintain or strengthen fair housing laws,
anti-discrimination laws, the Community
Reinvestment Act, & other related state &
local laws
Government agencies should be proactive
in promoting diverse neighborhoods
Recommendations &
Conclusions
The media should take an active role in
telling positive stories of diverse
community successes
Support public & private programs
supporting mixed-income developments
Business should look carefully at diverse
communities as potentially strong markets
Bolster the quality of local schools
Promote efforts to improve community
safety
Looking ahead to the
future...
We can end the notion that the
only stable neighborhood is a
segregated neighborhood
Greenhouse/Boston Globe