Attempting to Address Conditions of Poverty through an Inclusive Economic Approach in Alberta

This article responds to the call to alter current economic and social systems in light of COVID-19 by documenting initial efforts by a community-university partnership to build an inclusive economy. First, the effects of neoliberalism and oil ex- traction are examined to highlight the inequality that existed in Alberta long before the pandemic began. The paper then outlines four key areas of change: employment and training; social procurement and community benefits agreements; living wages; and basic income. It concludes with some initial learnings that may have resonance for others attempting to stimulate economic practices that distribute wealth more equitably. RÉSUMÉ Cet article répond à un désir de modifier les systèmes économiques et sociaux actuels en conséquence du COVID-19. Il le fait en décrivant des efforts préliminaires de la part d’un partenariat communauté/université pour établir une économie qui soit plus inclusive. L’article examine d’abord les conséquences du néolibéralisme et de l’extraction du pétrole afin de souligner les inégalités qui existaient déjà en Alberta bien avant le début de la pandémie. L’article présente ensuite quatre domaines clés qu’on aurait besoin de modifier : l’emploi et la formation; les ententes sur l’approvisionnement social et sur les avantages communautaires; le salaire de subsistance; et le revenu de base. L’article conclut en faisant des ob- servations préliminaires qui pourrait inspirer d’autres individus tentant d’encourager des pratiques économiques orientées vers une distribution plus équitable de la richesse.

“Building Together” in Baltimore? Corporate Megadevelopment and Coalitions for Community Power

We consider how various coalitions influence redevelopment projects in cities, especially as communities demand more inclusion in the development process. Based on qualitative research, we investigate the approval process for the 235-acre megadevelopment project at Port Covington in Baltimore, Maryland, and how stakeholders, including developers, community-based organizations, politicians, and impacted community members view the project, the tax increment financing (TIF) granted by the city, and community benefits agreements (CBAs). Community leaders leaned hard on the development corporation, demanding community and city-wide benefits before a TIF could be approved. We analyze the processes of the Port Covington CBA within the context of the political and economic dynamics of Baltimore. This case study adds to our understanding of how communities respond to corporate-led developments through coalition building, effectively gaining power in how elite governing regimes dictate development in cities.

Mitigating the socio-economic costs of transportation infrastructure projects and enhancing community livability: a case study of Eglinton Crosstown, St. Clair reconstruction & Central corridor: LRT projects and their outcomes

This research examines three case studies of transportation projects within the North American context including: the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto, St. Clair Streetcar reconstruction in Toronto, and the Central Corridor LRT in Minnesota to determine how planners can utilize planning policy and financial policy tools to offer solutions to help mitigate the social costs of transportation infrastructure projects for the affected communities. Results indicate that community benefits agreements and grants can be effective planning policy and financial policy tools that could be used to help mitigate the negative impacts of Light Rail Transit construction. Results also indicate that clear evaluative frameworks must be established, including clear targets, thresholds, reporting, and compliance in order for community benefits agreements to be considered successful. Key words: community benefits agreements; light rail transit; transportation; construction; social costs

Mitigating the socio-economic costs of transportation infrastructure projects and enhancing community livability: a case study of Eglinton Crosstown, St. Clair reconstruction & Central corridor: LRT projects and their outcomes

This research examines three case studies of transportation projects within the North American context including: the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto, St. Clair Streetcar reconstruction in Toronto, and the Central Corridor LRT in Minnesota to determine how planners can utilize planning policy and financial policy tools to offer solutions to help mitigate the social costs of transportation infrastructure projects for the affected communities. Results indicate that community benefits agreements and grants can be effective planning policy and financial policy tools that could be used to help mitigate the negative impacts of Light Rail Transit construction. Results also indicate that clear evaluative frameworks must be established, including clear targets, thresholds, reporting, and compliance in order for community benefits agreements to be considered successful. Key words: community benefits agreements; light rail transit; transportation; construction; social costs

Banking on a Revolution

Technological advancements are poised to completely transform the financial system, making it unrecognizable in just a few short decades. Banks are increasingly using financial technologies, or “fintech,” to deliver products and services and maximize their profits. Technology enthusiasts and some consumer advocates laude fintech for its potential to expand access to banking and finance. If history is any indication, however, fintech stands to reinforce digital forms of redlining and enable banks’ continued racialized exploitation of Black and Brown communities. Banking on a Revolution takes the perspective that the financial system needs a revolution—and not the impending revolution driven by technology. Studying various ways the financial system advantages whites by exploiting and marginalizing Black and Brown communities, Terri Friedline challenges the optimistic belief that fintech can expand access to banking and finance. Friedline applies the lens of financialized racial neoliberal capitalism to demonstrate the financial system’s inherent racism, and explores examples from student loan debt, corporate landlords, community benefits agreements, and banking and payday lending. She makes the case that the financial system needs a people-led revolution that centers the needs, experiences, and perspectives of those it has historically excluded, marginalized, and exploited.

The Nature of Change

This chapter explores the possibilities for a financial system revolution that equalizes access and democratizes power, such as through movements like Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street. Examples of steps toward equalizing access and democratizing power include student loan debt protests, municipal identification documents, community benefits agreements, and public banks. These examples demonstrate the importance of uniting incremental change with the power of people. Moreover, any revolution must intentionally challenge the financial system’s calibrations to whiteness. The financial system’s calibrations have been a global, centuries-long exercise in concentrating economic power with whiteness. The type of revolution our financial system needs cannot be achieved through technological advancements.