By Vrunda Vaghela The Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC) is a multiyear initiative investing in and amplifying local efforts in six regions to ensure that public investments in the built environment reduce racial disparities, build a culture of health, and respond to the climate crisis. The initiative’s long-term goal is to change the […]

As the temperature rises globally, heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense, which has been shown to increase risks of respiratory, neurological, and heart issues, as well as risks of cancer and death.

What often gets lost in the commemoration of Juneteenth is that it is a celebration. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day or Liberation Day, communities across this country have embraced this day through dance, song, art, and festivals. These celebrations remind us of what those last enslaved Blacks in Galveston, Texas must have felt when they received the news of their emancipation on June 19, 1865: Joy.

Through an unprecedented process involving deep community engagement and cross-sector collaboration, the City of Chicago recently prepared its first Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Policy Plan. There are many lessons and insights applicable to other cities and regions. This webinar will delve into what it took to create the plan, recognizing that a lot of the work […]

Dear Secretary Pete: Congratulations to you and your leadership team from the many partners involved with the Strong Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC). We represent a diverse range of community leaders, transportation advocates, government agencies, community development and public health investors, and climate justice advocates working across the country to create more equitable, healthy, […]

SPARCC categorically condemns the recent horrific acts of violence that have targeted the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Our work in six metropolitan regions is deeply connected to the work of AAPI organizers, leaders, and communities. We act in solidarity with the AAPI community, now and always.   According to an analysis conducted by the Center for […]

It is impossible to ignore the concurring injustices of our time– undeniably thrust into the nation’s consciousness through the events of 2020 and now. We stand at the intersection of grave racial, economic, health, and environmental injustices. Like any crossroad, there are different pathways forward. We know that there is no single pathway that will […]

On January 6, 2021 we saw the culmination of years of work led by Black women in Georgia — Stacey Abrams, LaTosha Brown, Deborah Scott, Tamieka Atkins, Helen Butler, and Nsé Ufot among scores of others. They galvanized the election of Senator-Elect Reverend Raphael Warnock, the first Black senator from Georgia. Their work also elevated […]

“It is hard to argue that housing is not a fundamental human need. Decent, affordable housing should be a basic right for everybody in this country. The reason is simple: without stable shelter, everything else falls apart.” ― Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City In 1964, Burt Bacharach and Hal David penned the […]