NEED FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PLANNING
Need for Diversity and inclusion in Municipal government : See Article here.
Factors contributing towards the need for diversity and inclusion planning in Opelika
The need for diversity and inclusion planning arises from the need expected by the city in the future, the city of Opelika becoming a potential place for new development in the region due to its available open spaces and the need for revitalization, Although the need contributing for the diversity and inclusion planning for Opelika arises from the following factors.
​
Housing situation in Auburn: Auburn, home to one of the top 100 universities in the country, with a notable alumni network and majority of middle aged population is seen to be facing housing crisis .City of Auburn is taking necessary measures to incentive new developments for affordable housing to the new and emerging crowd. By doing so, the cost of housing is also increased in the city, which questions the affordability of many students.
Since the affordable housing situation in the city of Auburn is saturating, many students look up to Opelika for obtaining affordable housing. Now, another question arises why does the city of Opelika need diversity and inclusion planning? The students in Auburn, move to Opelika for housing, which in turn brings in the need for recreation and other factors to cater the needs of the students. Another factor which is to be considered with Auburn University, is the university is observed on an international level. Many students from all over the world, choose Auburn for their graduate and undergraduate education. The university, on the other hand is encouraging the intake of more students from all over the globe, to obtain a diverse student population with different ethnicity and background.See Article here
The introduction of Auburn Global, an organization which has the focus of increasing the international population in the campus stands as proof. Thus the need of diversity and inclusion for the city of Opelika is justified through this aspect. This need may not be observed in the immediate future, but a strong notion of need is to be expected in the future.
Multinational Industrialization around Opelika: This factor is again a proof denoting the need for diversity and inclusion planning in Opelika. The city of Opelika is sandwiched between many cities, which host many multinational industries, the cities include Columbus, La Grange, and Cusseta. These cities host industries based in South Korea, Japan etc.The Auburn technological park also host certain multinational industries. Though, the industries in the region are located in different state borders, the employees in these industries look up to affordable housing and recreational facilities in the City of Opelika. Since Opelika is considered a neighborhood town hosting a lot of single family housing and affordable housing facilities in the region and also, since the housing facilities obtain saturation in Auburn. The industrial employees also look at Opelika as a viable option. The need for Opelika to accommodate them, increases in the region. Thus Opelika possess the need for diversity and inclusion planning.See Article here
Multi-Ethnical inclusion: The city of Opelika might possess a half and half population of whites and Afro-Americans in the region. The cultural inclusion is observed very limited in the region. The city of Opelika is often labelled as an Afro-American region.
Multi-ethical inclusion is needed to remove this label and provide the city, a mixed ethnical background, making it suitable for all ethnicities.
Although the above mentioned factors may not be emphasize the need of this type of planning at the moment. The future would forecast such a demand. In this approach of diversity and inclusive planning, a set of tools are created and developed into a planning weapon, to be implemented in the most suitable regions, with a boundary in place. The boundary or the circumference within which the plan is to be implemented also contributes to the maximum efficiency, so as to alter the planning weapon, as per the need observed in the location.
​