The Right to the City: Are Municipal IDs the Key to Urban Inclusion?

With the launch of CityKey, Chicago became one of many cities around the country that has recently enacted a program to issue municipal ID cards. Although having a valid government-issued ID is necessary for accessing essential institutions and services, many disadvantaged communities—such as African Americans, immigrants, transgender residents, the formerly incarcerated, and low-income people—are less likely to have such an ID. As stricter federal and state guidelines have made it more difficult to obtain government-issued ID, cities around the country have stepped in to issue their own municipal ID cards, particularly for vulnerable communities unable to access state and federal IDs. Do these municipal ID programs successfully reach vulnerable populations and increase access to important institutions and services? Join us for a discussion about urban citizenship and inclusion with Chicago public officials and community leaders who designed and implemented the CityKey ID program, and officials from other cities with municipal ID cards.

Co-sponsored by the School of Social Service Administration; Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation; Office of Civic Engagement; Harris School of Public Policy; Chicago Center for Contemporary Theory; Office of Multicultural Student Affairs; Chicago Studies; Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture; and the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality. This event is associated with a Pozen Center-supported faculty project. Read more here.