CHALLENGE

One publicly owned municipal utility district highly engaged in community well-being recognized the need to deploy comprehensive resources to its most underserved neighborhoods. The goal was to align regional investments to foster healthy, vibrant, and economically sustainable communities. However, definitively identifying the areas in most need was challenging due to disparate, missing, or fragmented data sources. Although information on community development, income levels, ethnicity, housing conditions, school districts, employment opportunities, public parks, transportation, food banks, medical services, nutrition, education, and environmental quality existed, it had never been holistically analyzed through a proper process. This made it difficult to prioritize resources and target community support effectively. The district needed a comprehensive, data-driven solution to accurately identify neighborhoods where resources could be appropriately allocated.

SOLUTION

To tackle this challenge, our staff collaborated with the municipal utility district’s experts to identify key components for the needed analysis. Once the requirements were gathered, values were assigned to relevant data sources to accurately represent each criteria’s potential impact within the study area. It was equally important to investigate and filter the incoming data, as some information had been dually considered from multiple sources and our team was dedicated to preserving the integrity of the analysis. Our team then used Esri’s Model Builder and other processes to develop a multi-phase weighted overlay analysis to effectively process the input attributes. As to not misappropriate the analysis across the district, population densities were consider to accurately account for all members within the district. The results produced data-driven insights revealing the relative health and equality of communities throughout the jurisdiction. This region-specific analysis led the team to produce a resulting heat map layer, which visually conveyed the results, highlighting vulnerable neighborhoods in the highest need of support.

The findings of the analysis were presented to the public though an interactive Esri story map, designed specifically for community outreach and engagement. Users could scroll through each section of the map to reveal different aspects of the data with explanatory notes detailing the nature of each topic and the criteria for identifying at-risk communities. This comprehensive approach enabled the district to consolidate and analyze vast amounts of data efficiently, providing a clear and actionable understanding of where to focus their efforts.

RESULT

The deployment of the interactive map allowed the district to confidently identify and support underserved neighborhoods while simultaneously communicating their efforts with the public. The map provided an intuitive and comprehensive platform for addressing equality and equity throughout the region. By consolidating and analyzing data layers from various local, state, and federal agencies into a single, user-friendly interface, the utility could quickly and accurately identify areas in need of resources and could justify strategies to board members, ratepayers, and collaborative partners. This enhanced data visibility led to more informed decision-making and strategic resource allocation, which could be effectively and accurately communicated to the public.

In addition to the massive success had by the project, the tool's value extended well beyond its initial intent. It sparked conversations about improving areas in the community that had not previously been discussed. The story map became a trusted data source for local agencies and city planners and was used by governmental officials and state departments to drive policy and decision-making. Colleges leveraged the data to determine eligibility for scholarships and financial aid for students residing within the study area. The municipal utility district even elected to solidify and expand their sustainable communities efforts as the analysis is being done on an annual basis in hopes of tracking positive change over time throughout the region. Additionally, the story map received local and national media attention, being featured on news segments and eventually presented at the nation’s capital. Overall, the Esri story map provided a powerful, versatile tool that significantly improved community support efforts, facilitated cross-agency collaboration, enhanced public engagement, and added value to individuals and governing bodies far beyond what was ever conceived.