Chittenden Country Regional Planning Commission
Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) is the largest regional transportation and land use planning organization in Vermont, serving 19 member municipalities and the public. CCRPC has reported stark inequities in home ownership, health outcomes, education, and income between Chittenden County’s BIPOC residents and white residents. At the same time, 99.7% of all population growth in Chittenden County from 2010-2020 is attributable to people of color. The implications of long-standing inequities combined with recent demographic shifts have created a sense of urgency for the CCRPC in addressing inequities in its focus areas of transportation, land use, housing, energy, climate, natural resources, economic development, and emergency management. Organizational leadership is aware of the ways planning has historically and deliberately created deeply ingrained, systemic inequities. They also know that addressing these gaps presents a set of complex challenges that cannot be overcome unless people who have been historically excluded have a meaningful voice at the planning table.
In early 2021, The Creative Discourse Group began working with the CCRPC on how to approach internal and external inequities by centering people of color and those who have been marginalized or underrepresented. Most of the associate team at The Creative Discourse Group have been involved at some point during the scope of this work. The initial phase of work culminated with the publication of an Organizational Equity Assessment Report. The report was timely given that “while there is more diversity in Chittenden County, the inequities remain persistent”, as the headline reads in an article published by VT Digger in 2022. The report highlighted the need for the CCRPC to build internal infrastructure, create opportunities for staff to build ongoing relationships with underrepresented community members, increase investment in inclusive community engagement processes, and serve as a host and convener for Chittenden County leaders who are engaged with racial equity and economic justice work.
Results presented in the report were informed by months of facilitated dialogue and a comprehensive data collection process that included surveying, listening sessions, and interviews. An Equity Leadership Team consisting of CCRPC board members and staff was established to guide the multiple layers of this work. A series of six racial equity workshops were also delivered to board and staff to cultivate shared understanding about racial and economic inequities. A Planning for Equity Summit was held for staff, board members, external partners, students, community members, planners and municipal leaders to understand the impact of regional and community planning on equity and justice and to identify community priorities to guide future work.
The Creative Discourse Group has continued to support the CCRPC as it works to implement recommendations from the equity assessment. This includes consultation and facilitation support for an expanded equity team, renamed the Equity Advisory Committee. The Creative Discourse Group supported CCRPC as it worked to create a manager level equity position and will continue to provide support to the recently hired Equity and Engagement Manager .
“Our work with The Creative Discourse Group has helped build our capacity to better identify and address inequities in our systems,” said Charlie Baker, CCRPC Executive Director. “While we are still in the early stages of this ongoing work, the recommendations in the organizational equity report and priorities being established by the newly formed Equity Advisory Committee are helping us continue forward momentum.” Racial equity and economic justice work generates tension which continues to be a theme throughout this ongoing work. While challenging, it also provides opportunities for The Creative Discourse Group to continue to learn new ways to navigate resistance. Facilitating dialogues where people can listen and engage with new ideas while navigating how to best serve everyone’s needs without causing harm strengthens our approach to inclusive community engagement. It also presents a learning curve when facing the range of tensions that exist between community and organizational needs, especially how to plan for inclusive community feedback within the constraints of organizational systems, resources, and staff capacity. How can we successfully navigate the challenges of time pressures when planning for racial equity and economic justice? We are constantly exploring this question and invite organizations to join us in considering effective strategies to create space for meaningful and effective equity work.
