Single-Family Zoning in Greater Los Angeles

Single-family housing dominates residential zoning in six-county LA region, producing unequal health, educational and income outcomes, and creating opportunity barriers for low-income, Black and Latino residents.

Vietnamese Voices from Orange County, CA

This research brief published by OBI and VietRISE, a community-based organization in Little Saigon, Orange County, CA, reveals prevailing beliefs, policy preferences, and narratives among Vietnamese residents in Orange County on topics related to...

The Structural Racism Remedies Repository

This a repository of policy-based recommendations for addressing structural and systemic racism or advancing racial equity drawn from a vast array of published material.

The Structural Racism Remedies Project

This essay provides an overview of our open-source, searchable repository of policy-based recommendations for addressing structural and systemic racism or advancing racial equity drawn from a vast array of published material.

Fællesskab and Belonging

Fællesskab, directly translated, means “community” or “togetherness”. Essentially, it is the feeling of belonging we get when we feel part of a meaningful group.

Healing division through exploration of shared values

This paper develops the argument that public debate at its most polarised focuses on attitudes toward specific political programmes or policy choices, rather than the values that underpin our political convictions.

Belonging in Berlin

Berlin, Europe’s third largest city at the turn of the 20th century, evokes images of the cultural metropolis and industrial center of the Golden Twenties, the darkness and cruelty of the Nazi regime, and decades of Cold War tension.

Creating belonging for migrants through human rights-based narrative change

“We need stories that show that the values we hold in common are stronger than what divides us.” With these words, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights launched the Toolbox on Migration Narrative Change.

On Belonging

“Belonging” is both a powerful and ambiguous concept. It reflects something essential to the human experience — a core need — but is not as tangible or easily comprehensible as shelter, nutrition, and rest.

Paper Series: On Belonging in Europe

An encompassing and embracing experience of belonging may be one of the few utopian ideals that can — and, indeed, does — exist in the world. It is a feeling of intentional togetherness that anyone, anywhere can experience mentally, physically, and spiritually—its absence can also be felt acutely.

Anti-Democracy Cascades

As efforts to secure voting rights at the federal level remain at a standstill, the most consequential legislation determining how we vote, who can vote, and how much our votes count continues to be made in state capitols. Throughout 2021, numerous...

Margins in Movement

This report chronicles more than two years of research with the people of the Inland Empire — the two-county region of Southern California often seen as a periphery “at the margins” of Los Angeles. This research seeks to understand prevailing beliefs and narratives across different groups on ideas of community, economic opportunity, government, and more.

Reimagining Revenue Measures by Centering Community Voices

Introduction California’s convoluted system for raising revenue is not transparent, and confusing to the general public. Unless they closely follow wonky budgeting and legislative news, most people typically don’t learn about upcoming revenue...

Redefining Who Belongs

Recent acute instances of failed political leadership—particularly around the pandemic and an ongoing lack of action to protect Black lives—have shone a bright light on questions essential to our future as a country: Who are we? Who are we becoming? Who must we become if we are to create a different world where everyone belongs?

Roots of Structural Racism

Introduction In June of this year, we published the “Roots of Structural Racism” project examining the persistence and harmful effects of racial residential segregation in the United States from a number of angles. We examined trends, ranked cities...

Explore Othering and Belonging

E-Newsletter Archive

An Archive of past issues of our bi-weekly newsletter.
May
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Arab Women & Feminist Visions for Equity and Belonging (Part 3/3)

Register We hope you'll join us for the third and final installment of our Arab Women & Feminist Visions for Equity and Belonging webinar series. This third event will focus on the critical role of Arab women and feminists in...

Video: Bridging to Belonging

On January 22, 2025, john spoke about about the importance of bridging to belonging, in times of crisis and in times of collaboration. Bridging is applied in the context of relationships and groups of people within organizations--where people are...