Apply a Racial Equity Lens Using GIS

two people looking at a computer next to an image of a maps of the eastern united states with yellow, green, red, and blue dots overlaid the top

What is a racial equity lens?

Explore and analyze experiences and outcomes based on race and other social categories and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Enhance your racial equity lens with location intelligence so you can understand and address disparities across communities based on race, gender, language, religion, orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, and many other factors.

Design and drive initiatives for racial justice

Organizations worldwide are working to end long-persisting racial inequalities, and location intelligence is critical to those efforts. Applying a racial equity lens in a geospatial context helps leaders in government, community organizations, and businesses understand the complexities of racial disparities. With insight into inequities, barriers, and opportunities for more equitable outcomes, maps and dashboards help optimize your efforts to have a positive impact on your community and achieve racial justice.

A computer with a map titled Traffic Debt Suspension Rates and Communities of Color

Anticipate risk and vulnerability

Adding location to a racial lens will help identify, act on, and eliminate persisting racial disparities across your community. Examine how communities of color will likely be affected by an event or policy change to help minimize unanticipated consequences. Perform a racial equity impact assessment while changing policies, planning initiatives, and implementing programs. Use maps and spatial analysis to determine whether proposed policies, organizational practices, initiatives, and funding decisions will benefit communities of color or create a burden. Use location intelligence to reveal opportunities to advance racial justice.

A map showing data including population, race and ethnicity, and percentage of disabled households

Operationalize racial equity and social justice

Integrate racial justice into policy making, services, programs, and budgeting by adding location intelligence. GIS can help you develop strategies and actions that reduce racial inequities and lift your entire community. Develop and implement policies and programs with thoughtful consideration of racial equity to avoid perpetuating racial inequities in operations and decision-making.

A map titled Which areas with poor air quality also have higher populations of people of color?

GIS and location intelligence capabilities enable your racial equity lens

  • Two people sitting and working together

    Racial Equity Community Outreach

    Government agencies can use this solution to communicate progress made on racial equity initiatives or programs. It includes applications to visualize workforce diversity metrics and gauge public sentiment.

    Explore Racial Equity Community Outreach
  • A map in varying shades of blue with dialog boxes and a series of rings in red, green, and blue that identify a targeted area

    ArcGIS Community Analyst

    Apply a racial equity lens quickly with instant access to data, visualization, and reporting. The web application—with no installation needed—is a cloud-based mapping solution that provides easy-to-use GIS capabilities for every user.

    Explore ArcGIS Community Analyst
  • A heat map of the New England region of the US

    ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World

    ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World is the foremost collection of geographic information from around the globe. It includes maps, apps, and data layers to support your work.

    See the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World
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