Date: June 1, 2021
Author(s): Jayne Vidheecharoen
Abstract
The social inequities we see across Southern California result from decades of systemic racism and historical disinvestment. How governments distribute funding and other resources can directly support efforts to address these issues. At the same time, increased investment has the potential to cause further displacement. With these challenges in mind, the Southern California Association of Governments seeks to improve resource prioritization in communities most impacted by economic, social, and environmental inequities. This research project involves reviewing documentation, interviewing planners, and synthesizing best practices from across the United States. SCAG should determine a core set of indicators for the Priority Populations and each of the four SCAG themes defined in ConnectSoCal: Economy, Healthy & Complete Communities, Mobility, and Environment.. For decision-making, SCAG could continue to leverage existing indexes. In future phases, SCAG may want to work on custom indexes for each program based on goals, more in-depth data analysis, and a review of policy implications.
About the Project
This capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.