Urban Labs Inclusive Economy Lab
The Inclusive Economy Lab partners with policymakers, community-based organizations and others to generate rigorous evidence that leads to greater financial security and real economic opportunity for communities harmed by disinvestment and segregation.
Real Financial Security and Economic Opportunity for All Communities
For generations, government policies and institutional choices have excluded many Americans – and especially the Black and Latinx communities – from opportunities for education, employment, and wealth creation. Ending intergenerational poverty and building an inclusive economy—one that provides real economic opportunities for all communities – requires collaboration across sectors, as well as scientific evidence about what works and what doesn’t. Traditional research can take years, and the results often don’t reach those who need the information most – the people living with and working on these issues.
The University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab solves this by working with policymakers, organizations, and communities to identify their most urgent and pressing challenges, co-generate evidence about what works, and translate that evidence into real policy changes that expand economic opportunity and financial security to improve lives.
The Inclusive Economy Lab studies programs and policies that aim to expand economic opportunity and create greater financial stability in order to understand how well they work. By identifying barriers to social mobility and racial equity, and highlighting the programs and policies that have the most positive impact, our work creates greater economic opportunity in cities, particularly in Chicago communities that have been harmed by discrimination, disinvestment, and segregation.
Vision
The Inclusive Economy Lab aspires to a world in which there is financial security and real economic opportunity for all.
Mission
The Inclusive Economy Lab conducts research that leads to greater financial security and real economic opportunity for communities harmed by disinvestment and segregation.
Get to know us! From the organizations with whom we partner to conduct research, to the staff and faculty who comprise our team, explore more about our organization below.
The development of our organizational values prompted our leadership and staff to examine all aspects of our organization and practices to identify how we can be more equitable and inclusive in our work.
At the same time, we began thinking intentionally about the ethics of the research process and how to ensure that the practice and results of our research best serve those we aim to help. Chicago Beyond’s report Why Am I Always Being Researched? shined a light on this issue. The report, in conjunction with feedback from some of our program partners, prompted us to consider our position as researchers and challenged us to conduct more community-engaged research.
In addition, the events of the summer of 2020, including the murder of George Floyd and resulting protests, spurred our organization to make a firm commitment to engage in research that consistently seeks to address the root causes of racial disparities. We have been developing practices that ensure that both staff and community members are treated in a way that is equitable and inclusive.
The practices below highlight some of the ways we are incorporating equity and inclusion into our work. As a learning organization, we commit to updating these practices and goals as we continue reflecting on the work necessary to live up to our name.
The Inclusive Economy Lab is committed to conducting community-informed, partner-driven research that generates trustworthy insights that can inform policy and practice. To that end, we employ rigorous methods and analytic approaches that are carefully selected to match study goals, conduct studies in a manner that protects and elevates participants, and share learnings broadly to maximize the impact and reach of our work.
Projects and Publications
Our People
Inclusive Economy Lab staff partner with civic and community leaders to generate evidence on what works to create pathways to greater financial security and real economic opportunity.
