Zoning, Housing & Race: A Legacy Impacting Health Outcomes

Racism is a public health crisis facing the nation with zoning and housing driving health and quality of life outcomes. Decisions about the spatial and physical characteristics of Connecticut’s towns have influenced and determined what we build, where we build, the quality of the built environment, and who has access to certain places. Like many states, Connecticut is struggling with the “why” and “how” of designing and building more inclusive communities, and zoning and housing affordability have taken center stage. Woven into our struggle is a legacy of racism with present-day consequences unknown or ignored by too many people. Our panel of experts will explore zoning and housing as tools for past and present-day segregation, their impact on health outcomes, and what exclusionary zoning costs us all.