Interweaving Equity in Place-based Economic Development Programs: An early analysis of equity within the Build Back Better Challenge Awardees

Abstract

The values and approaches to equitable growth are at the forefront of public discourse, both in growing support and opposition in recent years. However, in the midst of this, local economic development leaders are actively advancing equity by successfully integrating it into their organizations, programs, and communities. One specific federally-funded program, the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, is both spurring and supporting these efforts in equitable place-based economic development. This approach at the federal level is a departure from more traditional, top-down economic development strategies, encouraging localities to take the lead and ownership in their economic trajectory. Additionally, BBBRC emphasizes equity and engaging local communities, especially with underserved and underrepresented populations, in economic development programs. Historically, economic development programs often only informed underserved and underrepresented communities, at best, or completely failed to engage, at worst. The design of BBBRC seeks to alter the blueprint for economic development through interweaving equity in place-based programs.

Through the BBBRC, the 21 awarded coalitions advance equitable place-based program development, coalition structures, and project activities. The research team gathered data for this report through interviews and program documentation with the goal of understanding the common and unique practices between coalitions. This comparative approach allows us to document the multiple approaches to equity and identify key themes between the coalitions. For this project, the research team did not have a static definition of equity, but instead centered how coalitions were defining equity and its components.