CRP 608 Winter ‘10Class presentationFebruary 04, 2010

SAMIR GAMBHIRSAMIR GAMBHIRSenior Research AssociateKirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

Background Background Kirwan Institute

Our work Using GIS for research and advocacy Opportunity Mapping

Work in progress National Opportunity Model Web-based GIS

Multidisciplinary applied Multidisciplinary applied research institute Our mission is to expand 

opport nit for all especiall foropportunity for all, especially for our most marginalized communities

Founded in 2003 by john powell Opportunity Communities Program 

(1/3 of staff) Opening pathways to opportunity for marginalized communities through investments in people, places and supporting linkages

Opportunity mapping Opportunity mapping

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Maps are incredibly efficient compacting volumes of compacting volumes of

data ability to convey

information in seconds tell a story or solve a

problem Research has shown that

people can solve problems f i h b d faster with map based information, than by looking at charts, tables or graphs

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

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

phenomena Maps give us the opportunity to look at our entire

i regions or states Informing people about an issue at a scale they may not

usually think of linking communities sharing similar problems

In our work we see mapping as In our work we see mapping as serving these primary advocacy

lgoals Analysis Existing conditions, spatial trends,

scenarios, optimization etc. St t lli Storytelling A narrativeC bi ti Combination

Are minority businesses located in areas of economic yopportunity? (Cleveland)

Are hospital investments benefiting communities of color? (Columbus)

Are marginalized communities disproportionately ff t d b f l i i ? (C ti t)affected by foreclosure crisis? (Connecticut)

Are job growth areas connected to transit? (Baltimore)(Baltimore)

What is the impact of stimulus money investment on job creation? (Florida)j ( )

Recent Job Growth 98-02 and Public Transitin the Baltimore Region

Percent Change in Jobs

5 - 15

0 - 5

Job Loss

30 - 66.6

15 - 30

Subsidized housing policy is reinforcing segregation (Baltimore)segregation (Baltimore)

Foreclosures in African American neighborhoods are due to subprime lending patterns (Cleveland)p g p ( )

Vacant property problems are spreading, vacant property challenges are not just an inner city

bl (D t it)problem (Detroit) What if Montclair, NJ schools returned to

neighborhood school system?neighborhood school system?

Subsidized housing opportunities in Baltimore are generally clustered in the region’s gpredominately African American neighborhoods

Maps: Produced and adapted from Charles Bromley, SAGES Presidential Fellow, Case Western University

N

EW

S

Growth of Vacant Housing in Detroit 1970-2000(% Vacant Housing % of Homes Vacant0 - 3Highways

City of Detroit

Legend:( gin 1970 and 2000)

0 33 - 1010 - 1515 - 2020 - 57.6

CountiesHighways

Prepared by: Kirwan InstituteSource Data: U.S. Census Bureau

% Vacant 1970

% Vacant 2000

8 0 8 16 Miles

Opportunity mapping is a research tool used to Opportunity mapping is a research tool used to understand the dynamics of “opportunity” within metropolitan areas

The purpose of opportunity mapping is to illustrate where opportunity rich communities exist (and assess who has access to these communities)

Al t d t d h t d t b di d i Also, to understand what needs to be remedied in opportunity poor communities

Inequality has a geographic footprint Inequality has a geographic footprint

Maps can visually track the history and Maps can visually track the history and presence of discriminatory and exclusionary policies that spatially segregate peoplep p y g g p p

Identifying places with gaps in opportunity can y g p g p pp yhelp direct future investment and identify structures which impede access to opportunity

“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 educationg q y

Healthy and safe environment

Stable housing

Sustainable employment Sustainable employment

Political empowerment

Outlets for wealth‐building

Positive social networks

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Some people ride the “Up” l h

Others have to run up the “D ” lescalator to reach

opportunity. “Down” escalator to get there.

A refined model to depict spatial pattern of A refined model to depict spatial pattern of opportunity Identifying indicators as proxy for opportunity Supported by social science literature Data easily available Index based approach compresses multi-factors to an indexpp p

Model is a good communications tool to work with communities

Identifying and selecting indicators of opportunity

Identifying sources of data Compiling list of indicators (data matrix) Calculating Z scores Averaging these scores

Education Student/Teacher ratio? Test scores? Student mobility?

Economic/Employment IndicatorsU l ? P i i l ? J b i ? Unemployment rate? Proximity to employment? Job creation?

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

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

Health & Environmental Indicators Health & Environmental Indicators Access to health care? Exposure to toxic waste? Proximity to parks or open

space?

Federal Organizationsg Census Bureau County Business Patterns (ZIP Code Data) Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

E i t l P t ti A (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) State and Local Governmental Organizations

Regional planning agencies Education boards/school districts Education boards/school districts Transportation agencies County Auditor’s Office

Other agencies (non-Profit and Private) Other agencies (non Profit and Private) Schoolmatters.org DataPlace.org ESRI Business Analyst

Cl it Claritas

INDICATORS DATA MATRIXINDICATORS DATA MATRIX

EDUCATION DESCRIPTIONEffect on opportunity

Educational attainment for total population Percentage of population with college degree Positive

School poverty for neighborhood schools Percentage of economically disadvantaged students Negative

Teacher qualifications for neighborhood schools (or certified teachers) Percentage of Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) Positive

ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC HEALTH

P i i i l i C k d b d h i di f h f ili i P i iProximity to toxic waste release sites Census tracts are ranked based on their distance from these facilities Positive

Proximity to parks/Open spaces Census tracts are ranked based on their distance from open spaces Negative

Medically Underserved Areas Areas designated as MUA Positive

Z Score – a statistical measure that quantifies the distance Z Score a statistical measure that quantifies the distance (measured in standard deviations) between data points and the meanZ Score = (Data point – Mean)/ Standard Deviation( p )

Allows data for a geography (e.g. census tract) to be measured based on their relative distance from the average for the entire regionR f Raw z score performance Mean value is always “zero” – z score indicates distance from the

mean Positive z score is always above the region’s mean, Negative z score y g g

is always below the region’s mean Indicators with negative effect on opportunity should have all the z

scores adjusted to reflect this phenomena

Final “opportunity index” for each census tract is the Final opportunity index for each census tract is the average of z scores (including adjusted scores for direction) for all indicators by category

Census tracts can be ranked Census tracts can be ranked Opportunity level is determined by sorting a region’s census

tract z scores into ordered categories (very low, low, moderate, high, very high)moderate, high, very high) Top 20% can be categorized as very high, bottom 20% - very

low

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

African American men are isolated from neighborhoods of isolated from neighborhoods of

opportunity in Detroit

Low opportunity neighborhoods have higher number of linguistically isolated householdsisolated households

Need more research on methodology Need more research on methodology The model needs to be made more robust Critical analysis of all indicators e g job Critical analysis of all indicators e.g. job

mismatch, park access issues

Customizing data transfer procedures Customizing data transfer procedures National Opportunity Mapping Web-based Opportunity mapping Web based Opportunity mapping

Online interactive maps Online interactive maps ArcGIS Server Baltimore Foreclosures

(http://kirwan27:8399/BaltimoreForeclosure/mapviewer.jsf?width=261&height=438)

Open sourceOpen source Austin Opportunity Mapping

(http://www.gis.osu.edu/webgis-projects/opportunity/index html)projects/opportunity/index.html)