about.

“The physical design of the built environment impacts every aspect of our lives including housing, food, education, employment and health. These all contribute to our social, emotional and economic well-being. Yet, design leadership is largely white, which does not reflect the diversity in our communities. In the US, only 0.4% of licensed architects are Black women. This lack of diversity highlights the historic exclusion of Black people, and other communities of color, from decision making power in our built environment. This systematic exclusion, and upholding of whiteness, continues to have harmful impacts on those that don’t identify as such.

These impacts include racist housing practices that segregated neighborhoods and limited Black wealth-building opportunities; highways built by eminent domain through Black neighborhoods; the destruction of Black business districts, historic neighborhoods, epicenters, and cultural spaces; the militarization of police, mass incarceration and increased patrolling in Black neighborhoods; inequitable access to public transportation and fresh food in Black communities; polluted neighborhoods and environmental health risks; housing disparities accelerated by disasters; the displacement of Black people from their neighborhoods; and the list goes on.”

Recognition of these injustices led to the creation of WATER BLOCK, which is an urban design and creative studio that works to advance racial and environmental justice in our built environment through design, community engagement and planning.