What Does Equity Mean to Planners? Processes, Outcomes, and the Public Interest

Equity is a core professional and academic planning institutional goal, yet it is the least well-implemented. In this study, we present the results of an equity planning survey of Michigan planners, evaluated through both the tripartite framework of equity and planning ethics. We find that planners more often conceive of equity in deontological and distributional terms. These theoretical perspectives have practical implications for how planners view their responsibilities for equitable planning and how they carry out their work: the dominant deontological view may mean that planners focus on equitable processes at the expense of working toward equitable planning outcomes.