Leaders in America’s smaller legacy cities—former industrial and manufacturing hubs like Dayton, Ohio, and Gary, Indiana—can adopt equitable development strategies to meet the need for sound, long-term economic growth; to respond proactively to calls for racial equity; and to remedy the inequities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement. Improving equity broadens everyone’s access to opportunity while boosting economic prospects for an entire city.

This webinar will focus on why equitable development is a sound strategy for smaller legacy cities today. Practitioners will share stories from legacy cities that are already embracing equity and inclusion. Presenters will articulate why equity is an important goal for their city or organization, and what equitable development looks like in the smaller legacy city context.

The webinar will build on the Policy Focus Report Equitably Developing America's Smaller Legacy Cities: Investing in Residents from South Bend to Worcester, published in May 2021.