The Just Communities Blog

News and Updates from Our Team

  • Development
  • Equity
  • Planning
  • Resilience
  • Sustainability

Data Driven Detroit Mapping Tools

Data Driven Detroit is the local Data intermediary for Detroit, Michigan. They have a variety of tools available for use by community members, non-profits, and developers to in order to provide accessible, high-quality information and analysis to drive informed decision-making.
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Capitol Hill EcoDistrict Community Report

This is the 2018 annual report from Capitol Hill EcoDistrict in Seattle, WA. This is a great example of an annual progress report for other EcoDistricts and communities to use as an example.
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The Empty House Next Door: Understanding and Reducing Vacancy and Hypervacancy in the United States

This report lays the groundwork for exploring the issue of vacancy by defining what is meant by a “vacant” property, what constitutes a “healthy” vacancy rate, how vacant properties are measured, and why properties become vacant and abandoned. It discusses the impact of vacant properties on the communities in which they are situated. The report gives a definition of vacant properties in the context of the overall housing market, explains the negative effects of vacant properties on the overall community wellbeing, and concludes with recommendations on how to curb the vacancy problem.
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Facilitator's Guide for Continuous Improvement Conversations with a Racial Equity Lens

This guide has been designed to support facilitators and leaders to advance cross-sector conversations and efforts aimed at population-level impact. The tools in this guide can support you in having productive conversations and allow you and your diverse partners to achieve dramatically better results in your community.
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Growth and Equity: Analyzing Impacts on Displacement and Opportunity Related to Seattle’s Growth Strategy

This is an equity analysis of the city of Seattle and part of their comprehensive planning process. Its goals are to inform future elected officials about Potential future impacts of the four growth alternatives on marginalized populations and strategies for mitigating identified impacts and increasing access to opportunity for marginalized populations.
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Building Public Data Capacity and Partnerships For Racial Equity In Oakland

This case study is part of a series, including an overview brief, that demonstrates how local governments benefit from engaging with data intermediaries. The Case Shows how Data Intermediaries can provide topical, analytical and community expertise and can provide impartial analysis of community issues community engagement.
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Equity Foundations: A USDN Capacity Building Program

In September 2015, USDN developed a holistic curriculum of webinars, videos, and worksheets to help local government staff to apply an equity lens to a sustainability project, including choosing a good project, communicating about the project and racial equity, building a team, applying proven equity tools, and designing the project to embed an equity lens in local government practice.
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Equity in Sustainability: An Equity Scan of Local Governments Sustainability Programs

This guide from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network is an important read that highlights the interdependence between socioeconomic and racial equity and sustainability. It highlights 10 “Good Practices” for community leaders to help integrate equity into sustainability efforts, and highlights cases from around the country using the “Good Practices.”
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The Community Engagement Guide for Sustainable Communities

The Community Engagement Guide for Sustainable Communities includes the essential framework for effective community engagement. The guide covers the benefits of community engagement from hyper-local to regional planning projects, explains practical strategies, highlights case studies, and answers frequently asked questions about the topic.
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