CREDITS: 2.75 CM

ABSTRACT

Midwestern communities with vulnerable populations are often disproportionately affected by environmental harms, including health impacts, affordability challenges, and limited access to resources, to name a few. Evanston, Illinois is no exception. Home to a diverse population of 78,000 residents, Evanston has begun addressing the effects of its local historic injustices through its recently adopted 2026 Environmental Equity Investigation (EEI) Report. This mobile workshop will take attendees on a bike tour through Evanston neighborhoods, with stops in the city’s most affected wards, to examine how past injustices like redlining and industrialization have developed environmental inequities over time. Along the way, we’ll discuss how city policies, practices, and priorities have influenced environmental equity, how these issues have shaped residents lived experiences, and how the community is working together to build a more resilient, equitable future. Attendees will also explore how early outcomes from the EEI Report are helping advance a more equitable and just Evanston for tomorrow.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

1. Learn how historic city policies, practices, and priorities have led to the injustices that have shaped environmental inequities within our communities today.
2. Understand how planners can lead a robust community engagement process to uncover how community members have been affected by transgenerational inequities through their lived experiences.
3. Discover how partnerships between cities and their communities can strengthen alliances toward addressing systemic injustices head on and how your community can develop a more resilient and just future in the face of a rapidly changing climate.