Reparative Development Consulting for Academic & Professional Institutions

Building a Future Where Policy, Planning, and Public Leadership Advance Repair and Justice.

Williams & Russell Community Development Corporation (CDC) partners with universities, professional schools, and academic departments to integrate reparative development, equity-centered planning, and community-grounded practice into curriculum, research, policy design, and institutional operations.

We support institutions in the fields of design, public policy, law, urban planning, sociology, political science, community/economic development, and public administration to acknowledge historical harm, advance equitable practices, and prepare the next generation of leaders with a deep understanding of restorative justice in public systems.

Who We Serve

Williams & Russell CDC collaborates with:

Schools of Design & Architecture

Schools of Urban & Regional Planning

Law Schools

Public Policy Schools

Departments of Sociology, Political Science, and Ethnic Studies

Public Administration and Public Affairs programs

Community and Economic Development institutes

Research centers, policy labs, and student-led organizations

Whether you are teaching future planners, lawyers, policymakers, or administrators, our consulting services reinforce the meaningful integration of equity, community voice, and historical context.

Our Services for Academic Institutions

Reparative Framework & Curriculum Integration

We help institutions embed reparative development principles into their academic and professional training programs.

Services include:

  • Designing new reparative development curriculum modules

  • Integrating historical harm analysis into studio courses, policy labs, and legal clinics

  • Developing cross-disciplinary equity frameworks

  • Supporting faculty training and curriculum redesign

Equity-Centered Institutional Policy & Strategy

We guide academic institutions through the design of reparative policies that address disparities in access, representation, and institutional impact.

Examples include:

  • Reparative admissions or scholarship strategies

  • Community benefit and partnership agreements

  • Land stewardship and co-development models

  • Anti-displacement strategies for surrounding neighborhoods

Community Partnerships & Engagement Models

We design engagement frameworks that connect academic departments with local communities in ethical, mutually beneficial ways.

This includes:

  • Facilitation of community dialogues and listening sessions

  • Co-designed research projects with community organizations

  • Support for community governance and advisory structures

  • Ethical guidelines for community-engaged learning, planning studios, and fieldwork

Faculty, Staff, and Leadership Training

Training and professional development grounded in recognition, repair, equity, and community accountability.

Topics include:

  • Anti-displacement and reparative planning

  • Community wealth building and restorative economic development

  • Historical harm and structural inequities

  • Equitable policy design

  • Anti-racist and community-rooted pedagogy

Applied Research, Studio Support & Technical Assistance

We assist with academic studios, research labs, and policy clinics in ways that deepen student learning and community impact.

Support includes:

  • Guidance for reparative urban planning studios

  • Technical support for legal clinics focused on land, housing, and civil rights

  • Policy labs incorporating historical and contemporary equity analysis

  • Co-development of case studies and applied research projects

Why Reparative Development Matters in These Fields

Disciplines like planning, public administration, political science, law, and design have historically shaped the built environment, governance systems, and policy frameworks in ways that often reinforced inequity.

These fields influence:

  • Land use decisions and urban renewal

  • Access to housing, transportation, and public resources

  • Legislative frameworks and legal outcomes

  • Economic development and public investment

  • Community displacement

  • Social and political power

Reparative development ensures that tomorrow’s leaders understand not only the systems they work within—but the responsibility to repair past harm through innovative, equitable solutions.

Impact Areas for Academic Institutions

Williams & Russell CDC helps institutions advance:

  • Reparative land use and community partnership models

  • Equity-centered planning, policy, and design education

  • Inclusive decision-making structures

  • Ethical community-engaged research

  • Reforms to admissions, scholarships, and governance

  • Curriculum transformation across sociology, law, planning, and public affairs

  • Student pathways to careers in equitable development

Why Williams & Russell CDC?

Deep Community Connection

We bring lived experience and professional expertise rooted in communities shaped by displacement and inequitable planning.

Interdisciplinary Expertise

Our team includes leaders from:

Urban planning, Law, Public policy, Community development, Economic development, Sociology, Real estate and land stewardship

Trusted in Both Academic and Community Settings

We understand the unique needs of educational institutions and community partners, and we help bridge the two with integrity.

Partner With Us

Together, we can prepare the next generation of leaders to build an equitable, just, and thriving future.

If your institution seeks to advance equitable education, repair historical harm, or integrate reparative development into curriculum and governance, Williams & Russell CDC is here to support you.

Contact Us

Clients / Consultations

Harvard University School of Design

Toronto Metropolitan University

Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD)