This policy brief, prepared by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity in partnership with The City & Regional Planning Program at The Ohio State University and the Cuyahoga County PlaceMatters Team, provides a deep historical analysis of how discriminatory real estate practices—including redlining, racially restrictive covenants, and exclusionary zoning—have shaped the current landscape of health, opportunity, and economic mobility in Cuyahoga County. By tracing the roots of policy decisions made throughout the 20th century, the report illustrates how these historical inequities have resulted in lasting disparities in neighborhood investment, wealth-building, environmental exposures, and critical health outcomes (such as infant mortality and life expectancy gaps). Ultimately, the brief calls on policymakers and community leaders to reflect on the values embedded in today’s policies and to design transformative solutions that dismantle the legacy of exclusion and advance equitable access to resources for all residents.(Read more)