From Recovery to Transformation: Scaling Strategies for Advancing Spatial Justice and Equitable Development

July 15, 2024

PolicyLink and Magic Cabinet held an exciting webinar at the intersection of spatial justice and equitable development in Puerto Rico and beyond!

The webinar explored community-led strategies, financing vehicles, and public sector partnerships necessary for bending the arc of development towards justice. Panelists discussed the critical need for a reparative, national spatial justice framework as a north star for a more equitable and inclusive housing future across the United States and its territories. The webinar lifted up innovative and emerging community land banking, acquisition, and financing strategies from national practitioners and local partners in Puerto Rico designed to reclaim and rebuild more just and inclusive communities.

Welcome Remarks:

• Jerry Maldonado, Vice President of Programs, PolicyLink
• Christina Engel, Chief Executive Officer, Magic Cabinet

Featured Speakers:

• Deepak Lamba-Nieves, Director of Infrastructure Justice and Puerto Rico Strategies, PolicyLink
• Rasheedah Phillips, Director of Housing, PolicyLink
• Tram Hoang, Senior Housing Associate, PolicyLink
• Tony Pickett, Chief Executive Officer, Grounded Solutions Network
• Cristina Miranda, Executive Director, La Liga de Ciudades
• Luis Gallardo, Executive Director, Centro para la Reconstrucción del Hábitat

Related Resources:

• Grounding Justice: Toward Reparative Spatial Futures in Land and Housing - PolicyLink
• "Getting Federal Money to Communities: A Story from Puerto Rico," Non-Profit Quarterly