Opportunity Mapping: Using GIS for Social Equity, Racial Justice and Advocacy

ARC – Facing Race 2010 National ConferenceChicago, ILSeptember 24th 2010

Presented by:

Jason ReeceSenior Researcher

Samir GambhirSenior GIS Associate

The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity The Ohio State University

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Today’s Workshop (3 Parts)

Introduction Learning from you… What use Mapping

Opportunity Mapping and Advocacy What is it? What can it be used for? Outcomes?

The Future – Democratizing Data Web Based & Interactive Opportunity Maps

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IntroductionMore about us….

Learning from you….

Why use mapping?

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More about us… Multidisciplinary applied research

institute Our mission is to expand opportunity

for all, especially for our most marginalized communities

Founded in 2003 by john powell (executive director) Opportunity Communities Program

○ Opening pathways to opportunity for marginalized communities through investments in people, places and supporting linkages

○ Disrupting systems of disadvantage○ Opportunity mapping, Regional Equity,

Neighborhood Revitalization, Opportunity Based Housing

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Learning from you…

Why are you interested in mapping? What do you hope to learn in this workshop?

Have you tried using mapping in your organizing and advocacy? Why did you use it? How was it helpful? What were the challenges?

Are you interested in using mapping – but haven’t tried it yet? Why not? What are the impediments & obstacles?

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Using Mapping For Advocacy:Space and Regional Equity

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Why are maps particularly effective in dealing with issues of equity? Regional, racial and social inequity often

manifest as spatial inequity Maps are naturally the best tools to display this

spatial phenomena

Other disciplines and sectors are using multivariate mapping to problem solve Private industry Public sector

○ NSP○ Recent interest in mapping by HUD for supporting

sustainable communities See recent Urban Institute report

So Why Mapping?

Mapping visually represents the cumulative effects of opportunity segregation Also a strong analytical tool to

look at disparate impact (especially those impacts which are spatial and racial in nature)

• One map may contain tens of thousands of pieces of information than can be understood in seconds

A good map can enable you to tell a story or solve a problem

• Research has shown that people can solve problems faster with map based information, than by looking at charts, tables or graphs

Think of Mapping as a Tool: It ban be used for positive or negative purposes.

E.g. Mapping for Inequity – Redlining to support institutionalized disinvestment

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Opportunity Mapping & AdvocacyWhat is it?

What can it be used for?

Outcomes?

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Opportunity Matters: Space, Place, and Life Outcomes

“Opportunity” is a situation or condition that places individuals in a position to be more likely to succeed or excel.

Opportunity structures are critical to opening pathways to success: High-quality education Healthy and safe environment Stable housing Sustainable employment Political empowerment Outlets for wealth-building Positive social networks

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Systems Thinking: We are all situated within “opportunity structures”

Outcomes&

Behaviors

Social

Physical

Cultural

These structures interact in ways that produce racialized outcomes for different groups, but also in ways that influence identity

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Place and Opportunity Structures: Neighborhoods & Access to Opportunity

Five decades of research indicate that your environment has a profound impact on your access to opportunity and likelihood of success

High poverty areas with poor employment, underperforming schools, distressed housing and public health/safety risks depress life outcomes A system of disadvantage Many manifestations

○ Urban, rural, suburban

People of color are far more likely to live in opportunity deprived neighborhoods and communities

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Our understanding of opportunity has shifted with time….from a one- dimensional understanding…

…to a multi-dimensional understanding….

• Structural Inequality– Example: a Bird in a cage.

Examining one bar cannot explain why a bird cannot fly. But multiple bars, arranged in specific ways, reinforce each other and trap the bird.

• One variable can explain why differential outcomes.

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Neighborhoods and Systemic Disadvantage: Interactive

14Source: Barbara Reskin. http://faculty.uwashington.edu/reskin/

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Systems are dynamic and create feedback loops: E.g. the cycle of school segregation

Lower EducationalOutcomes for Urban

School Districts

Increased Flightof Affluent

Families fromUrban Areas

Neighborhood (Housing)

Segregation

SchoolSegregation(Economic)

Access to Opportunity & Marginalized Groups

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Some people ride the “Up” escalator to reach

opportunity

Others have to run up the “Down” escalator to get there

The Communities of Opportunity Model and Fair Housing

Everyone should have fair access to the critical opportunity structures needed to succeed in life.

Low Opportunity neighborhoods limit the development of human capital

A Community of Opportunity approach can develop pathways that result in increased social and economic health, benefiting everyone Looking at people, places and linkages

○ Linkages = building connections to areas of opportunity

○ Example: Opportunity based fair housing

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Forming a New Narrative:The Opportunity Framework Deliberate, coordinated, and

regional investments in people, places, and linkages

Two-pronged approach:○ Targeted in-place, urban

revitalization strategies○ Mobility-based investments

for marginalized residents to access high opportunity communities’

These are Not opposing strategies! A sustainable, transformative development strategy requires both

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Mapping Opportunity: Why and How

The Kirwan Institute has conducted “opportunity mapping” for states and metropolitan regions across the US Projects in at least a dozen states

○ Full State Analysis: MA, CT, OH, FL○ Regions: Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta,

Baltimore, Washington D.C., Detroit, Austin, Sacramento, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, New Orleans

Why identify the “State of Opportunity” How are low-income groups situated in the State? How are racial and ethnic groups situated? How does housing intersect with race, class and

opportunity What can be done to improve the opportunity

landscape?

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Mapping Communities of Opportunity: Methods and Indicators

How do you map opportunity? Data representing community conditions was gathered for

neighborhood (census tracts) across the state or region○ Data for all indicators of community conditions was aggregated

to the Census Tract level and analyzed to create a comprehensive opportunity index for the census tracts (neighborhoods) throughout the state or region

The opportunity index is then mapped and census tracts are broken into quintiles based on their opportunity score○ Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, Very High

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Sample Indicators: From Recent King County Opportunity Mapping AnalysisEducation Housing & Neighborhood

Health Student poverty rates Reading/Math test scores Adult educational attainment Teacher qualifications Graduation rate

Home ownership rates Crime incidence Vacancy rates Home value appreciation Neighborhood poverty rates Population change Proximity to parks/open space Proximity to toxic waste release sites

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Proximity to employment Commute times Job growth trends Business start trends Unemployment rate Public assistance rate

ECONOMIC HEALTH

All indicators grounded in social science research literature, also indicators can be more narrowly tailored to meet the needs of particular populations (e.g. public housing residents).

Creating the Composite Opportunity Map

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Education Opportunity

Score

Economic Opportunity

Score

Housing & Neighborhood

Score

Final Opportunity

Score (Map)

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Example of an Opportunity Map: Detroit MI

(Dark Areas = Most Opportunity Rich Communities)

(Light Areas = Most Opportunity Deprived Areas)

MA Legal Services and Opportunity Communities

Background on this project Originated from effort to incorporate

mapping analysis into legal services

Partners Massachusetts Law Reform Institute,

MA Legal Assistance Corp (foundation) and other Legal Services Entities

Year long process of meeting with stakeholders to understand mapping needs and issues

Training with service providers & agencies (using mapping for programming)

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Comprehensive Opportunity Map: Greater Boston

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Applications and Impact Program design and use within legal services

New programming – proposed “Adopt A Zip Code” program

Use in exploring client concerns/challenges

State level program design (public sector) New $5 million state affordable housing program,

targeted to high opportunity communities (see press release)

Targeting of $21 million in NSP funds to low opportunity communities by the MA Department of Housing and Community Development

Implementation still unfolding

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Other Project Impacts: CT

Connecticut “The mapping is guiding our next round of

fair housing testing…our mapping report has been identified by the CT Department of Economic and Community Development as one of the three central principles that will guide its planning over the next five years.” ○ Erin Boggs, CT Fair Housing Center

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Other Projects Impacts & Activities Baltimore

Remedial proposal in Thompson v. HUD Chicago (Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities)

Use in advising voucher holders in neighborhood selection Austin

Use in evaluating city’s affordable housing investments Related Project: Washington County, OR

Advised on opportunity map created by the County included in recent consolidated plan for County○ Exploring application in planning activities for the broader Portland region

Child Development Jacksonville, FL & the Duvall County children’s commission

Evaluation of stimulus/NSP activities Florida

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Moving Forward - Strategies What is this information/approach useful for?

Diagnostics and targeted investments Identifying areas of opportunity and challenges

○ Opportunities Opportunities for investment

- Targeting services better, targeting programs

○ Challenges E.g. foreclosure patterns – interconnections between foreclosure

and children in need

Looking at broader policy issues and concern Communications – using maps to illustrate areas of concern, areas

of opportunity, broader community discussions

A powerful tool to help produce a collaborative process around opportunity isolation among diverse constituencies

Moving Forward - Strategies Spend time identifying areas of concern/need prior to

mapping Targeted inquiries and analysis (areas of concern, areas of

opportunities for progress)

Diagnostics (programs, investments etc.)

Consider mapping to help address broader challenges Planning and strategy, communications, public discourse,

advocacy – outreach, stakeholder, informing program design

○ Comprehensive opportunity maps more useful in this role

Be aware of data challenges Access to data sometimes a limiting factor

Want to Learn More?Resources & Reference Materials Mapping for Social Justice

The Kirwan Institute Study: ○ Utilizing GIS to Support Advocacy and

Social Justice

More on Opportunity Mapping The Kirwan Institute Reports

○ Communities of Opportunity: A Framework for an Equitable & Sustainable Future

○ The Geography of Opportunity: A Review of Opportunity Mapping Research Initiatives

All Available on-line at: kirwaninstitute.org

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Want to Learn More?Resources & Reference Materials

Mapping & Advocacy – Two recent articles from Clearinghouse Review Jason Reece and Eric Schultheis. Poverty’s Place:

The Use of Geographic Information Systems in Poverty Advocacy. Clearinghouse Review Journal of Poverty Law and Policy. January-February 2009.

Maya Roy and Jason Reece. Poverty’s Place Revisited: Mapping for Justice & Democratizing Data to Combat Poverty. Clearinghouse Review Journal of Poverty Law and Policy. July/August 2010.

To access, visit Clearinghouse Review at: www.povertylaw.org/clearinghouse-review

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Web Based and Interactive Opportunity Maps

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http://www.kirwaninstitute.org/connect/king-county-wa-opportunity-mapping.html

www.KirwanInstitute.org

KirwanInstituteon:

www.race-talk.org

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