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Planners’ responsiveness to theethno-racial diversity

Ask a planner about multiculturalplanning and he/she will initially

wear a look of puzzlement, but onfurther prodding may start narratingstories of the approval process that amosque or Gurdawara had gone throughor the unmediated emergence of anethnic enclave in his/her jurisdiction.Theterm multicultural planning is puzzlingfor planners.They are aware of theethno-racial diversity of their clients andgenerally feel that they are sensitive todifferences in their clients’ material andaesthetic needs for community facilities,services, land uses and housing, etc.Theymaintain that they plan and manage byfunctions and not persons.Theirprofessionalism demands a certainuniformity of treatment of all citizens.Yet the term multicultural planningsuggests to them that it is a distinctgenre of planning something likeadvocacy planning, collaborative planningor sustainable development.And theyare apprehensive of the accusation thatthey are not practicing it, particularly inthe Toronto,Vancouver and Montrealmetropolitan areas.

Planners’ ambiguity about multiculturalplanning is in contrast with the academics’exhortations about the need forresponsiveness to the ethnic and culturaldiversity of contemporary cities inCanada, the USA or Australia. Implicit inthese exhortations is the notion thatthe planning institutions are covertlydiscriminatory against ethnic and racialminorities.They are guided by the valuesand preferences of the dominantmajority, embedded in the singularity ofpublic interest and incorporated inplanning policies and standards.1,2 Theacademic discourse favours treating

different people differently to fulfill theobjective of equity in the outcomes ofprogrammes and not be tied to theuniformity of measures.3 It emphasizesethno-racial differences and reads inthem disparities of power.

The divergence between the planners’perceptions and academic critiquespoints to a lack of clarity about how

planning institutions do, as well as could,respond to the ethno-racial diversity ofpeople.The urban planning institutions,though a critical determinant of thequality of urban life, are not the onlyforce shaping the structure and form ofcities. Undoubtedly, the market, communityinitiatives and political processessignificantly influence the quality of urbanlife. In the discussion of the planners’responsiveness to the culturally definedneeds of various ethnic groups, thedomain of planning institutions shouldbe kept in view.

For example, immigrants and minoritieshave higher unemployment rates andlower earnings than born-whiteCanadians of similar qualifications.4 Forthis systematic inequality, the planninginstitutions are neither primarilyresponsible nor do they have the policyinstruments to fully correct the situation.It would therefore be inappropriate toattribute this condition as a failure ofurban planning. Of course, planners cantake actions that can alleviate theproblem, such as local economicdevelopment measures targeted atincreasing employment opportunitiesfor immigrants.Yet it does not makethem responsible for the existence ofemployment discrimination in the firstplace.The responsiveness of plannersmust be assessed in the context of themandate of urban planning institutions.This article aims at answering twoquestions: 1) how can urban planningaccommodate cultural diversity? and 2)what is the scope of practicingmulticultural planning in urban planning?Before discussing these questions, we

What is this thing calledMULTICULTURALPLANNING?

by Mohammad A. Qadeer

SummaryMulticultural planning is not a distinct genre of urban planning. It is a strategy ofmaking reasonable accommodations for the culturally defined needs of ethno-racialminorities on the one hand, and reconstructing the common ground that underliespolicies and programmes on the other. A set of policies is recommended for makingurban planning more inclusive.

Immigrants and minorities have higher unemployment rates

and lower earnings than born-white Canadians of

similar qualifications.4

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need to clarify the notion of “culture” ofethnic groups within a city and society.

Culture and common ground The term “culture” of an ethnic groupwithin a city or society refers to beliefs,behaviours, symbols and customs oflimited scope, largely followed in thefamily, community and religious settings,albeit in the private domain of the sociallife of a group.The distinct “culture” ofthe private domain is complemented bythe public domain that cuts across theethnic lines.The economy, laws, politicsand administration, citizenship andtechnology are the institutions that areby and large common to all groups.5

Thus, in this sense, the culture of anethnic group is just a sub-cultureencased in the common ground ofpublic institutions. It does not rise tothe total way of life of a society.

The diversity of ethnic cultures thrivesin tandem with the cohesiveness of thecommon ground.The challenge ofmulticulturalism lies in building a commonground that reflects the interests andconcerns of most of the groups, whilesustaining cultural differences in theprivate domain. In urban planning, thecommon ground is comprised ofobjectives and policies that reconcilethe values and interests of various sub-cultural groups yet can be equitablyapplicable to all.

The (sub) culture matters, but it is notinsulated from the physical, economicand technological factors operating in acity. For example, the courtyard housethat may be the cultural inheritance ofmany immigrants cannot be recreated inthe snowy Canada. Immigrants readilyadopt new housing forms, limiting theexpression of their traditional preferencesto the organization of internal spacesand minor decorative features.Thereare no discernable differences in ethno-racial groups’ preferences for housingquality, ownership and location in thelong run. Detached homes surroundedby grassy yards in suburban settings areoften the desired family residences ofmany ethnic groups.The trade-offsbetween cultural values and norms onthe one hand and the environmental,physical, economic and technological

factors on the other are enacted everyday in a city. Multiculturalism plays outin this dynamic situation.

Accommodating culturaldiversity in urban planningEthnic groups as well as Aboriginals are the bearers of distinct cultures that constitute the mosaic calledmulticulturalism.The multiplicity ofcommunities of distinct cultures living in the same space has long been acharacteristic of cities.Weren’t theancient and medieval cities known fortheir variety of languages and throngs ofstrangers from distant lands? Culturaldiversity of cities is not a newphenomenon.What is new are thecharters and bills of rights conferringfreedom of expression and religion,rights of equitable treatment, peacefulassembly and association, mobility,democratic participation and in Canadathe right of preserving one’s culturalheritage.These individual and grouprights underpin the diversity ofcommunity cultures.They institutionalizesub-cultures, prompting ethno-racialgroups to organize their private domainby their cultural and linguistic heritageand build religious and communityinstitutions to realize their beliefs andvalues. How do these communitycultures affect the public space? This isthe question that goes to the heart ofthe problem of accommodating culturaldiversity in urban planning.

Canadian multiculturalism is largelydriven by immigration.About a quartermillion immigrants and another 250,000temporary residents come into Canadaevery year. Immigration has become theprimary source of population growth inthe country. It is continually restockingethnic groups with newcomers whoreinvigorate their communities’ cultures,religions and languages.

In cities, the culture of ethnic communitiescomes into play in the form of individualand group preferences for the provisionsof housing, neighbourhoods, land uses,facilities and services, transportation andenvironment, albeit the functional areasof urban planning.The fulfillment ofthese cultural needs and preferences isa process of balancing competing

interests and forces.Thus, the first testof accommodating cultural diversity isto make the planning process inclusiveby facilitating and actively seeking inputsfrom ethnic communities, particularlythose who are stakeholders in planningpolicies. Much of the literature onmulticultural planning concentrates onadvocating making the decision-makingprocesses inclusive and open.

Culturally defined needs and preferencesof people find expression at two levels,individual and group or community.They want particular types of houses,neighbourhoods, community services orjobs within the scope of their resourcesand opportunities. Households ofPortuguese heritage may want twokitchens, one for the party room.Catholics and Hindus may want altarsfor worship at home. Such preferencesmay or may not fit into planning policiesand programmes. If they don’t, thenspecial permissions, exceptions orvariances may be sought to accommodatethem.The process of accommodatingindividual cultural preferences is anoften-intricate involving committee ofadjustment, appellate bodies, publichearings, etc. that fosters confrontationswith neighbours, adding to the minorities’feelings of being discriminated.Thetouchstone of multicultural planning isthe sensitivity of the planning process tocultural diversity.

At the group or community level,cultural needs take more organizedforms. Mosques, temples, cricket fields,parades and fairs, employment equity orheritage language classes, signage, etc,are examples of the institutions andservices that ethno-racial communitiesseek.They expect planning policies andprogrammes to make provisions fortheir culturally specific needs as anentitlement of their citizenship.Yetplanning institutions have evolved in thecultural idioms of the historic populationand the mainstream culture.Thus newethnic communities find themselves

The touchstone of multiculturalplanning is the sensitivity of the

planning process to culturaldiversity.

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confronted with policies and regulationsthat initially do not fit their needs.Theircommunity needs may be met throughthe incremental and case-by-casemodifications of policies and programmes.

Ethnocultural needs often have bearingson the operational and managementpolicies of programmes. It is not just theavailability of a service but how it isadministered that affects differentcommunities differently.The availabilityof subsidized housing affects all those inneed, regardless of the culture, but thepolicy to allocate units only to nuclearfamilies effectively bars the multi-generational or relatively large familiesof immigrants, for example. Even indeath, community cultures come intoconflict with the burial regulationsconceived in the Judo-Christian tradition.6

The point is that in the provision ofservices, cultural norms and valuesdetermine the level of satisfaction ofneeds. In the provision of services,accommodation of different groups hasto be very deliberately planned.

Immigrants as the new members of asociety have special needs, such as jobsearch and housing assistance, languageclasses, civic education, counseling, etc.Cities and local communities have toeither provide or coordinate the supplyof such services.

Finally, ethnic cultures transform theurban structure and landscape.Theemergence of ethnic enclaves, ethnicbazaars and malls affects the residentialand commercial organization of a city.They necessitate drastic revisions ofofficial or master plans and require wideranging accommodations of culturaldiversity. Policies of historic preservation,urban design, commercial development,neighbourhood and housing, signage,public transport and parking, for example,have to be revised to accommodate thecultural needs of ethnic minorities.

All in all, increasing cultural diversitycalls for wide ranging policy revisions.That is what multicultural planningmeans. Does it mean people of differentcultures will be treated differently?

Strategy of reasonableaccommodation and thereconstruction of commongroundUndoubtedly, academic supporters ofmulticulturalism emphasize tailoring ofplanning policies to the culturalbackgrounds of people.This viewpointdoes not necessarily suggest that theremay be different rules for differentpersons.What it implies is that theobjectives and outcomes should beuniform but the measures to achievethem (inputs) could vary by the cultureof clients. For example, there may beuniform performance standards forparking and transportation in sitingplaces of worship, but they could berealized in different ways for a mosqueversus a church.This is how reasonableaccommodation works.

The common ground of norms, values,laws and institutions of the society atlarge, particularly of its public domain,continually affect the culture ofcommunities. It is the common groundthat provides the functional coherenceand unity to a city.The common groundhas its roots in the historical mainstream,but it is evolving and changing with thetimes. Multiculturalism lies not only incultivating sub-cultures but also inreconstructing the common ground toreflect the interests and values ofethno-racial communities.7

Part of the challenge of multiculturalplanning is the reconstruction of thecommon ground of urban planning,namely its values, objectives and criteria,to reflect the shared interests of differentcommunities. It requires re-examiningthe behavioural assumptions by whichpeople’s needs are defined andcompatibilities of land uses, for example,are determined.The broadening of theprocesses and products of urbanplanning to reflect the evolving mix ofcultures in a city is a critical element ofmulticultural planning.

Multicultural planning inCanadaCanadian metropolitan cities havebecome strikingly multicultural in thepast three decades.Toronto,Vancouverand Montreal in particular are nowhome to people from all parts of theworld.There are thriving Chinatowns(the Toronto area has five) Indian bazaars,Jewish and Italian neighbourhoods,Korean churches, mosques and temples.For example, the Toronto area hasabout 65 mosques and an equal numberof Hindu temples.Almost every projectto build a mosque eventually – sometimesafter a long drawn out struggle forapproval – came to fruition. It is not justthe buildings but community servicesand institutions that have come toenrich the life of ethnic minorities. Forexample, there are about 300 ethnicnewspapers and magazines published inthe Toronto area.

There are claims of Toronto being themost multicultural city in the world.8

Vancouver is the home of about 200ethnic groups. Even Montreal, so insistentof its French identity, has transnationalneighbourhoods like Cote-des-Neigesand Notre-Dame-de-Grace. Ethniccommunities have carved a space forthemselves and their cultural life isimprinted on the metropolitan landscapes.Multiculturalism is spreading to thesecond tier cities as well as small townsin the form of ethnic institutions andservices.

Obviously this transformation of thesemetropolitan areas is not without thecontributions of urban planning.Thus,one can say that practically multiculturalplanning is alive and well in Canada.Yet this outcome has come aboutincrementally with the demands ofethno-racial communities for theircharter rights as citizens. It has been areactive and not a proactive multiculturalplanning.There is the need forsystematizing and incorporating the

Multiculturalism lies not only in cultivating sub-cultures but also in reconstructing

the common ground to reflect the interests and values of ethno-racial communities.7

Toronto,Vancouver and Montreal in particular are nowhome to people from all parts

of the world.

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process of reasonable accommodationof ethnic needs in urban planning.

Finally, meeting cultural needs as a goalof urban planning comes in combinationwith other goals. Urban planning aims atmaking cities and towns environmentallysustainable, energy efficient, physicallycompact and transit-oriented along withculturally diverse.There is no formulafor reconciling these divergent goalsother than working through them onboth ends, namely by balancingcompeting concerns on the one handand by promoting new mores and valuesthrough intensive civic education on theother. Multicultural planning means astrategy of reasonable accommodation

of ethnic cultures as well as cultivatingof shared values in ethnic communitiesthrough informational and (civic)educational activities.

This strategy can be operationalized asa set of policy measure and planningpractices to be followed by the urbanplanning agencies. Following is a set ofsuch policies that the planning agenciescan implement as well as use as anindex to assess their progress inpromoting multicultural planning.

These policies and practices willinstitutionalize reasonable accommodationand lay the basis for forging a commonground that applies to all communities.This is what multicultural planningmeans. It is not a distinct genre, but a culturally responsive practice.

Mohammad A. Qadeer is a professor emeritus of urban planning at Queen’s University,Kingston. He has written extensively on multiculturalism and cities. Presently he is doing research on ethnic enclaves with Dr. Sandeep Agrawal of Ryerson University. He can be reached at: qadeerm@queensu.ca

Policy and Practice Index of Multicultural Planning 1. Providing minority language facilities, translations and interpretation, in public consultations.2. Including minority representatives in planning committees and task forces as well as diversifying planning staff.3. Including ethnic/minority community organizations in the planning decision-making processes.4. Recognition of ethnic diversity as a planning goal in Official/Comprehensive Plans.5. City-wide policies for culture-specific institutions in plans, e.g., places of worship, ethnic seniors’ homes, cultural institutions,

funeral homes, fairs and parades, etc.6. Routinely analyzing ethnic and racial variables in planning analysis.7. Studies of ethnic enclaves and neighbourhoods in transition.8. Policies/design guidelines for sustaining ethnic neighbourhoods.9. Policies/strategies for ethnic commercial areas, malls and business improvement areas.10. Incorporating culture/religion as an acceptable reason for site-specific accommodations/minor-variances.11.Accommodation of ethnic signage, street names and symbols.12. Policies for ethnic-specific service needs.13. Policies for immigrants’ special service needs.14. Policies/projects for ethnic heritage preservation.15.Guidelines for housing to suit diverse groups.16. Promoting ethnic community initiatives for housing and neighbourhood development.17.Development strategies taking account of inter-cultural needs.18. Promoting and systematizing ethnic entrepreneurship for economic development.19. Policies/strategies for promoting ethnic art and cultural services.20.Accommodating ethnic sports (e.g., cricket, bocce, etc) in playfield design and programming.

References1. Sandercock L. Mongrel cities. London: Continuum; 2003.2. Wallace M, Milroy B. Ethno-racial diversity and planning practices in the Greater Toronto area. Plan Canada 2001;41(3):31-33.3. Buradyidi M, editor. Urban planning in a multicultural society.Westport: Praeger; 2000.4. Picott G, Feng H.The rise in low-income rates among immigrants in Canada. Ottawa: Statistics Canada; 2003. Cat.no.11 F0019 MIE-No.267.5. Rex J.The concept of multicultural society. In: Guibernau M, Rex J, editors.The Ethnicity Reader. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1997.6. Agrawal S, Hathiyani A. Funeral and burial sites, rites and rights in multicultural Ontario. Our Diverse Cities Fall 2007;(4):134-38.7. Qadeer M.The charter and multiculturalism. Policy Options February 2007;28(2):89-93.8. Doucet M.The anatomy of an urban legend:Toronto’s multicultural reputation. CERIS Working Paper no.16.Toronto: Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and

Settlement; 2001.9. Nurse A. Qualified differences: diversity and the cultural dynamics of small-town Canada. Our Diverse Cities Summer 2007;(3):59-63.