Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit
Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit returns to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, on March 26 & 27, 2025. Stay tuned for more information on speakers, panels, and workshops.
Get your early bird tickets while they last
At Smart Growth America, we know that equity is at the heart of our work to create healthy, prosperous, and resilient communities. But how do we ensure that economic opportunities and the benefits of community revitalization are shared by all—including residents of rural communities and smaller cities and those who have been historically disadvantaged—especially in the face of a shifting political landscape?
The 2025 Equity Summit is your chance to explore these questions and more. For nearly five years, the Equity Summit has brought together practitioners, advocates, and leaders to discuss equity in smart growth. This year’s theme, Building Forward: A Shared Movement for Vibrant Communities, reflects our commitment to driving progress while adapting to new realities and bringing more people than ever into our movement.
The Equity Summit isn’t just a gathering; it’s a call to action. Whether you’re working on the ground in your community, influencing policy at the state or national level, or seeking innovative solutions to complex challenges, this event will provide the tools, connections, and inspiration to keep moving equity forward—even when the path isn’t easy.
Announcing our keynote speaker: Jerusalem Demsas
We’re thrilled to announce Jerusalem Demsas, staff writer at The Atlantic and thought leader on housing, urban policy, and economic equity, as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Equity Summit. Jerusalem is known for her ability to connect policy with real-world impact, and her writing deftly sheds light on the challenges and opportunities in creating equitable communities. Her keynote address will inspire us to think boldly as we build a shared movement for vibrant communities. Learn more>>
Limited early bird tickets now available
Don’t miss your chance to secure your spot at a discounted rate.
Early bird registration is open now through January 17, 2025.
Schedule
The full schedule will be released in early 2025, but the two day event will run on Wednesday, March 26 from 12-5 p.m. ET and on Thursday, March 27 from 9-4:30 p.m. ET.
What to expect
- Expert panels and workshops: Dive into actionable strategies for advancing equity.
- Inspiring speakers: Hear from changemakers whose work will inspire our path forward
- Opportunities to connect: Build relationships with peers who share your commitment to creating vibrant, equitable communities.
We hope you’ll join us at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC, on March 26-27, 2025. Registration is now open, so grab your early-bird tickets today!
Together, let’s navigate the challenges and opportunities of our time and commit to Building Forward—because we know we can only advance equity and smart growth if we do it together.
Thank you to our 2025 sponsors
Learn more about our past Equity programming
At Smart Growth America, we deeply believe that advancing racial equity is at the core of a smart growth approach. But what does that mean? How does it work in practice? And how can smart growth advocates do it better?
The Equity Summit—SGA’s largest event of the year—is a gathering of thought leaders and practitioners who work to ensure that racial equity is a key priority in any smart growth approach. Since the Equity Summit’s inception in 2021, our annual event has brought together an amazing lineup of speakers to discuss the intersections of racial equity and the smart growth movement, making the case that smart growth without a focus on equity isn’t smart growth at all. Learn more about our past Equity programming:
Check out Smart Growth America’s Equity Forums