Equity, Opportunity, Community Engagement, and the Regional Planning Process: Data and Mapping in Five U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Government agencies and nonprofit organizations have increasingly used spatial data to create equity and opportunity atlases or maps. This paper investigates how such maps have been integrated into planning processes, and if they have been useful in catalyzing engagement on equity issues. We employ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of planning education and research 2024-03, Vol.44 (1), p.16-27
Main Authors: Finio, Nicholas, Lung-Amam, Willow, Knaap, Gerrit-Jan, Dawkins, Casey, Wong, Brittany
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Community involvement
Community participation
Government agencies
Mapping
Metropolitan areas
Nonprofit organizations
Regional planning
Regions
Spatial data
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Summary:Government agencies and nonprofit organizations have increasingly used spatial data to create equity and opportunity atlases or maps. This paper investigates how such maps have been integrated into planning processes, and if they have been useful in catalyzing engagement on equity issues. We employ a multiple case study approach to assess efforts in five U.S. regions: Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Portland, and Seattle. Our findings show that equity and opportunity mapping have stimulated new conversations, local actions, and regional plans, but many regions are still struggling to adopt policies that could meaningfully shift their landscapes of equity and opportunity.
ISSN:0739-456X
1552-6577
DOI:10.1177/0739456X20945385