47 Science for Deeper Understanding The county’s ARDI team partnered with researchers from California State University, Dominguez Hills, Claremont Graduate University, and Capacity to Impact, a research and evaluation firm. The study design called for an examination of Black outcomes at smaller geographies. As part of its research, the ARDI team worked with the county’s Internal Services Department using GIS technology to compile data about the well-being of Black residents. The research focuses on physical and mental health, housing and homelessness, income and employment, education, and criminal justice. Organizing the data on GIS-based digital maps by location allowed the researchers to see patterns. Stacking data layers over the maps has shown, for example, that segregation, health disparities, poverty, and lower property values tend to follow historical patterns for redlining. For decades, mortgage lenders used this practice to deny loans to Black applicants. Maps were drawn to designate communities from which loan applications would be refused. In its work to address such inequities and show the distinctiveness within the county’s Black communities, the ARDI team also examined inequities at the city and neighborhood levels. By doing so, the researchers could compare differences in life expectancy, median household income, unemployment rates, homeownership rates, and more across the county. For example, although the Black median household income was $51,259 in 2022 at the county level, the (average) Black median household income is $107,354 in unincorporated Ladera Heights (which is 76 percent Black) and $38,345 in unincorporated Hyde Park (which is 56 percent Black). Countywide, the Black homeownership rate is 33.5 percent, but 73.3 percent in Ladera Heights and 36.9 percent in Hyde Park. It was critical for us to evaluate how residents were doing at the neighborhood level since we are aware of the relationship between race and place, the legacy (and ongoing occurrence) of residential segregation, and the lack of access to resources in certain geographical areas. —Tolu Wuraola, data analyst and racial equity consultant for the ARDI Initiative Sharing the Lessons Learned Hyperlocal location intelligence—authoritative information about a specific place or places—guides decision-makers in many areas of business and government. GIS mapping and data analysis tools support many of the county’s equity initiatives. Examples include the county’s Equity Explorer tool and the Los Angeles County GIS for Equity web page. Many organizations in Los Angeles County and elsewhere are working toward similar goals for equity. For that reason, the ARDI team expects other organizations and foundations to benefit from its work. “To date, we have made some progress in our collective struggle for equity, but we know we need to do so much more,” said Hilda Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors when the 2021 budget was released. “We are in this marathon together, and we will see this through to the finish line.” Today, technology offers powerful tools for ensuring that all residents are healthy, experience justice, and thrive. The work carried out in Los Angeles County is evidence of this. As in that community, other jurisdictions will need courage, commitment, and resources to address disparities in life outcomes and public investment. Equity and Social Justice
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