University of Richmond launches interactive site exploring link between housing, education inequities

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A new interactive website created by University of Richmond (UR) faculty, staff, and students sheds light on the deep connections between housing segregation and educational inequality in the Richmond region.

The platform, titled Live and Learn, brings to life the findings of a widely-cited research study -- “Confronting School and Housing Segregation in the Richmond Region: Can We Learn and Live Together?” First released in 2017 and updated in 2024, the report is the result of a collaboration between UR, Virginia Commonwealth University, the Partnership for Housing Affordability, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia and the Commonwealth Institute.

“Our goal was to create a public resource that allows people to understand the deep interconnections between where we live and how we learn,” said Dr. Tom Shields, a co-author of the study and professor of education and leadership studies at the University of Richmond. “The site allows users to explore the historical roots and present-day realities of neighborhood segregation and its direct impact on access to quality education across the Richmond region.”

The Live and Learn website features interactive maps, data visualizations, historical timelines, and personal narratives, offering users a dynamic and engaging way to understand systemic inequities. Two undergraduate research fellows, Katherine Thomey (Class of 2025) and Helen Mei (Class of 2026), developed the site using ArcGIS Experience Builder under the guidance of Shields and Kyle Redican, director of the Spatial Analysis Lab at UR.

“This platform gives people the tools to visualize inequities and begin imagining solutions,” Redican said. “We wanted to make this important research even more accessible to educators, policymakers, students, and the broader community.”

The Live and Learn platform is now available online and aims to support ongoing dialogue and action around equity in housing and education throughout the region.