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Neighborhood Opportunity Mapping Neighborhood Opportunity Mapping

for Regional Equityfor Regional Equity

Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & EthnicityKirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity

The Ohio State UniversityThe Ohio State University

Presentation for: Presentation for: Policy Link Regional Equity Summit 2008Policy Link Regional Equity Summit 2008

Workshop Series 4: Effective Strategies, Creating Tactics for ActionWorkshop Series 4: Effective Strategies, Creating Tactics for ActionSession: Assessing and Developing Racially Equitable PoliciesSession: Assessing and Developing Racially Equitable Policies

March 7March 7thth 2007 2007

Jason Reece, AICP

Senior Researcher

Reece.35@osu.edu

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Space and Regional EquitySpace and Regional Equity

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

manifest as spatial inequitymanifest as spatial inequity• Maps are naturally the best tools to Maps are naturally the best tools to

display this spatial phenomenadisplay this spatial phenomena Other disciplines and sectors are using Other disciplines and sectors are using

mapping to problem solve mapping to problem solve • Private industryPrivate industry

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Maps: Maps: Powerful Visual Powerful Visual

ToolsTools Why is a map an Why is a map an

excellent visual tool to excellent visual tool to inform someone about inform someone about an issue/problem or an issue/problem or solution?solution?• Maps are incredibly Maps are incredibly

efficient, compacting efficient, compacting volumes of data into single volumes of data into single pictures that can be pictures that can be understood at a glanceunderstood at a glance

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

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

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

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Neighborhoods and Neighborhoods and Access to OpportunityAccess to Opportunity

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

Impoverished African Impoverished African Americans and Latinos are Americans and Latinos are far more likely to live in far more likely to live in neighborhoods of neighborhoods of concentrated povertyconcentrated poverty• These high poverty These high poverty

environments create environments create deplorable living deplorable living conditions and are a conditions and are a manifestation of living manifestation of living isolated from opportunityisolated from opportunity

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Neighborhood Neighborhood SegregationSegregation

School SegregationSchool Segregation

Racial stigma, other Racial stigma, other psychological impactspsychological impacts

Job segregationJob segregation

Impacts on community Impacts on community power and individual power and individual

assetsassets

Impacts on Educational Impacts on Educational AchievementAchievement

The Cumulative Impacts of Spatial, Racial and The Cumulative Impacts of Spatial, Racial and Opportunity SegregationOpportunity Segregation

Exposure to crime; arrestExposure to crime; arrest

Transportation limitations Transportation limitations and other inequitable public and other inequitable public servicesservices

Adapted from figure by Barbara Reskin at: http://faculty.washington.edu/reskin/

Neighborhood Segregation impacts a number of life-opportunitiesNeighborhood Segregation impacts a number of life-opportunities

Impacts on HealthImpacts on Health

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Location determines access to Location determines access to schools….schools….

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jobs…jobs…

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neighborhood amenities…neighborhood amenities…

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Opportunity MappingOpportunity Mapping Opportunity mapping is a research tool Opportunity mapping is a research tool

used to understand the dynamics of used to understand the dynamics of “opportunity” within metropolitan “opportunity” within metropolitan areasareas

The purpose of opportunity mapping is The purpose of opportunity mapping is to illustrate where opportunity rich to illustrate where opportunity rich communities exist (and assess who communities exist (and assess who has access to these communities) has access to these communities) • Also, to understand what needs to be Also, to understand what needs to be

remedied in opportunity poor communities remedied in opportunity poor communities

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background (background (contd.contd.))

Resulted in a methodology that captures Resulted in a methodology that captures region wide opportunity distribution, in a region wide opportunity distribution, in a comprehensive manner and it is reflective comprehensive manner and it is reflective of today’s metropolitan characteristicsof today’s metropolitan characteristics• Ignores Urban-Suburban dichotomyIgnores Urban-Suburban dichotomy

Reflective of new trends: decline of the inner Reflective of new trends: decline of the inner suburbs, exurbs, inner city gentrificationsuburbs, exurbs, inner city gentrification

Reflective of the unique nature of each Reflective of the unique nature of each community: e.g. Austin, TX vs. Cleveland, OHcommunity: e.g. Austin, TX vs. Cleveland, OH

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Methodology:Methodology:Indicator CategoriesIndicator Categories

EducationEducation• Student/Teacher ratio? Test scores? Student mobility?Student/Teacher ratio? Test scores? Student mobility?

Economic/Employment IndicatorsEconomic/Employment Indicators• Unemployment rate? Proximity to employment? Job creation?Unemployment rate? Proximity to employment? Job creation?

Neighborhood QualityNeighborhood Quality• Median home values? Crime rate? Housing vacancy rate?Median home values? Crime rate? Housing vacancy rate?

Mobility/Transportation IndicatorsMobility/Transportation Indicators• Mean commute time? Access to public transit?Mean commute time? Access to public transit?

Health & Environmental IndicatorsHealth & Environmental Indicators• Access to health care? Exposure to toxic waste? Proximity to Access to health care? Exposure to toxic waste? Proximity to

parks or open space?parks or open space?

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Subsidized Subsidized housing housing opportunities in opportunities in Baltimore are Baltimore are generally generally clustered in the clustered in the region’s lowest region’s lowest opportunity opportunity neighborhoodsneighborhoods

Baltimore Opportunity and

Subsidized Housing

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Questions or Comments? Questions or Comments? For More Information Visit Us On-Line:For More Information Visit Us On-Line:

www.KirwanInstitute.orgwww.KirwanInstitute.org