“Everyone Prospers: The Path to Equity” is an event being co-hosted by the United Way of the Midlands and the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency this Wednesday at UNO’s Milo Bail Student Center.
Dr. Michael McAfee, President of PolicyLink, a leading national research and action institute, will be the guest speaker.
McAfee says he will be talking about the Equitable Growth Profile for the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area.
He says the profile offers a snapshot of where the region is in terms of equitable growth, identifying areas of disparity in the region.
McAfee says information on economic vitality, education gaps and the economic benefits of equity in the area are all included in the profile.
After talking about the information in the report, McAfee will discuss recommendations.
These include finding ways to foster racial inclusion and leadership across sectors in the community, integrating immigrants into the regional economy and raising the floor on low-wage jobs.
"And making sure we are coordinating housing, transportation and economic development investments. Because often times, the development patterns are out of sync with where people live and transportation routes. So often the very folks who need public transportation systems to work with them are actually not connected to where they jobs are and so making sure there’s regional coordination around housing and transportation linked to economic development is important.”
The first Equitable Growth Profile released in December of 2014 indicated $4.2 billion would have been added to the regional economy if racial disparities in income, education attainment and jobs were closed.
The “Everyone Prospers” event takes place from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. this Wednesday at UNO's Milo Bail Student Center.
To register, the website is heartland2050.org/events/1131.