Neoliberal strategies' propagation of health inequality of urban populations in rebuilding processes: How do we change them?

The neoliberal strategies engaged to rebuild our urban areas continue to use the structure of historical racism and classism-capitalist regulation- which established these current-day communities of extreme health disparities. Urban renewal, gentrification, and HOPE VI successfully rebuilt areas deemed ‘slum and blight’, deteriorated, ‘the ghetto’ for the benefit of a privileged race and class of people. These processes continue today under the heading of economic development while ignoring and continuing health and wealth disparity through planned displacement of existing communities. Placing these practices in the framework of neoliberal strategies offers us a theoretical framework to study and re-organize toward pro-active strategies and actions to assure equitable health in our urban areas. Using such strategies as uneven development, capital/economic development, creative destruction, territorial development, place-promotion, this presentation will show examples of such practices and outcomes in rebuilding historically abandoned urban areas. We will then turn to examples of challenges to these strategies through community organizing, bridging social capital with academic and popular media, and political and union organizing in different stages. It will end with a discussion of the gap between the two.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify how neoliberal strategies propagate health and wealth inequity in rebuilding our historically abandoned communities Identify concrete actions and strategies for challenging neoliberal practices in rebuilding urban communities

Keyword(s): Activism, Urban Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been studying and practicing in the field of public health and community and political organizing, community rebuilding, and social determinants of health for more than 20 years. I have authored and co-authored peer-review writings on the subject pertaining to the topic area of this submitted abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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