updated:
03/11/2021
Julianna VAlenzuela
Urban Social Equity
Hello and Welcome!
The Urban Social Equity Data (USE-able Data) Project is a community-based participatory research study that will be investigating how engineering data helps create resilient communities. We believe that resilience is created by supporting local businesses and economic growth with a careful focus on social and environmental justice. USE-able data prioritizes equitable, community-owned and accessible tools designed to meet community-defined goals.
We will be investigating what methods of data presentation are easiest to use and interpret. It is our hope that we can begin to better understand and address problems like food deserts, gentrification, urban sprawl, education and job accessibility, efficient public transportation, as well as the health and wellbeing of community members.
This study will be involving community members as much as possible (given the current pandemic), meaning that the focus of the project may shift over time depending on community needs.
Previously, we were looking at car-centric design and the intersectional relationships it may have to social equity, but upon community investigation, it has been determined that communities are much more focused on food insecurity at this time. The project has shifted to better understanding food insecurity and its intersectional relationships, including race, income levels, gender, sexuality, and many more.
If you are interested in receiving project updates or participating in this study,
stop by a virtual event or join our mailing list below!
What is Community Based Participatory Research?
Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative research method where scientists, engineers, and researchers work alongside community members to create, analyze, and publish data. This helps ensure that the projects meet the goals and needs of community members while also serving as a method for mutual learning. Community members can benefit from the professional data and engineering services that can be used for influencing policy, social justice, and educational purposes. It also allows for the engineers, scientists, and researchers to learn from community members about social and cultural aspects, creative and innovative solutions, and more effective collaboration methods and practices.
Project Details
The long-term goal of this project is to create data that supports community resilience. This requires collaborative research and investigation with communities, so we are currently working towards identifying what the main components of resiliency are.
Short term, we have identified food insecurity as a COVID relevant issue that is very likely related to community resilience. Partnerships with relevant organizations are in progress and will be added here as possible. Sign up for our newsletter to hear more about the work we are doing and to stay updated on partnerships and project developments.
Events
Interested in participating in an event? Check the calendar for more info, or join our mailing list to keep up to date.