Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit

We want to thank everyone for coming to the 2025 Equity Summit! Check out our recap from the event. If you weren’t able to attend or want to revisit the conversations, find all our recordings from other panels on reconnecting communities, advocacy, funding equity, and more here.

Photos by DMV Productions

At Smart Growth America, we know that the heart of our work is 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?

At our signature event, Smart Growth America brings together practitioners, advocates, and leaders to discuss how to make sure the benefits smart growth reach everyone. 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.

Want to sponsor the Equity Summit? Learn more here and reach out to us at [email protected]

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>>

Schedule

Learn more about our panels and programming

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.

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