Equitable mobility pilot projects should center the voices usually left out of decision-making through a community-driven process. Equitable mobility pilot projects must also address entrenched injustices by providing the following benefits to low-income communities of color in a way that is meaningful, direct, and assured: (1) Increased access to affordable, efficient, safe, reliable mobility options; (2) Reduced air pollution; (3) Enhanced economic opportunities. Historically, transportation investments and plans have not met the mobility needs of low-income people of color because decisions have been made behind closed doors without community input. This has resulted in these communities suffering from disproportionate levels of transportation-related pollution and longer and less reliable commutes. A lack of good mobility options limits low-income people's ability to raise themselves out of poverty. Today, low-income people of color often face financial, technological, physical, or cultural, barriers to accessing shared mobility services (i.e. bikeshare, scooter share, Uber, carshare, etc.). Some of these mobility services have also be shown to compete with public transit ridership and utilize unfair labor practices, both of which harm people of color.

In 2016 the Portland City Council directed the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) to develop a housing strategy in anticipation of potential investment in a new light rail line from Downtown Portland to Bridgeport Village. The City of Tigard joined the partnership to help secure a planning grant from Metro to partially fund this work. The Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) then joined to co-lead this work with BPS and Tigard. This housing strategy is nested within the SW Corridor Equitable Development Strategy, a broader planning effort led by Metro that addresses workforce and economic development needs in addition to housing. Tigard and Portland city councils will consider adopting the final SW Corridor Equitable Housing Strategy in the summer of 2018, prior to the adoption of the Locally Preferred Alternative for the light rail project.

Overview of the city of Phoenix's asset map and economic development strategy.

As our country continues to reel from the effects of the Great Recession, it is more important than ever to foster a more pragmatic appreciation for the role that government can and should play in shaping an economy that benefits us all. Unfortunately, Americans have a hard time understanding how the economy works, and they have a very limited sense of what government's role is or could be. But, there are openings in the public mind, especially in the wake of the recent and ongoing economic crisis. While experts may focus on statistics like the Gross Domestic Product or how the market is faring, average people tend to judge how the economy is doing by the wellbeing of those around them. Do people have jobs? Can they send their kids to college? Can they save for retirement? This is the moment to connect the dots between these basic economic expectations and the public policy and fiscal decisions that shape the answers. Research conducted for Demos has revealed a core idea that begins to connect those dots in helpful ways: our public systems and structures are the foundation of our economy and they are essential for a strong and vibrant middle class. These public systems and structures - like our schools, highways, the FDIC, and our reliable court systems - have always been critical to our economic success.

In September 2007, recognizing the great potential of green economic and infrastructure development, Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker asked the Apollo Alliance to engage the community at large and "make Newark a national showcase for clean and efficient energy use, green economic development and job creation, and equitable environmental opportunity." The project, announced at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) conference in New York City, focused on convening a summit of Newark's community leaders to develop recommendations for the city to become cleaner, greener, and more prosperous.

Portland is nationally recognized as a city with an exceptionally high quality of life, progressive land use planning, abundant transportation alternatives, and leading-edge green development expertise. The city’s growing concentration of firms in clean technology further solidifies Portland’s position as a national leader in sustainability. The Portland region boasts internationally-recognized expertise in the athletic and outdoor industry and a globally competitive manufacturing base. These cultural values and economic attributes have attracted young, educated people and contribute to the competitiveness of our region’s workforce. While Portland’s reputation and economic assets reflects many of the city’s strengths, they gloss over the well-being and diverse experiences of Portland’s people, businesses, and neighborhoods. Regional economic productivity continues to climb but salaries and incomes in Portland lag behind those of peer cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver. While in-migration accounted for some of Portland’s higher-than-average unemployment rate during the recession, sluggish job creation trends remain. Moreover, for some people of color, the pain from our dysfunctional economy long preceded the recession: unemployment rates for African American men have remained above Portland’s recessional high of 12.6percentat roughly 15percent since the late 1970s. As population growth is anticipated to continue at 2.4perecent annually - or roughly six times the national average - job growth will continue to be an issue of critical importance. In recognition of the need for a quality economy that matches and broadens our quality of life, in July of 2009 the City of Portland adopted a Five-Year Economic Development Strategy. The Strategy seeks to expand prosperity and opportunity for Portland residents and create 10,000 net new jobs by 1) generating robust traded sector job growth, 2) driving urban innovation, and 3) stimulating neighborhood business vitality.

Almost everyone believes that afterschool programs are one of those good things for youngsters. And yet many kids are left out: Only 15 percent - 8.4 million - of the country's school children participate, according to a report, "America After 3 PM," by the advocacy organization Afterschool Alliance. That leaves millions more students returning to empty houses, or worse. At a Feb. 21-22, 2013, conference in Baltimore, close to 400 people invited from 57 U.S. cities gathered to discuss what they could do to push for better afterschool programs - and make sure that programming is available to all the kids who need it.

School District Resolution adopting Berkeley's 2020 Vision plan to provide all Berkeley children with equitable education outcomes regardless of race, ethnicity, or income by 2020.

The bipartisan research team of Public Opinion Strategies and Hart Research recently completed a survey of 800 voters throughout the United States. It revealed overwhelming support for ensuring that children gain the knowledge and skills necessary to start kindergarten off on the right foot, with a majority of voters saying that we should do more to achieve this goal. When presented with the broad outlines of a federal plan that helps states provide better early childhood education programs to low- and middle-income families without increasing the debt, fully seven-in-ten voice their support-with strong majorities of support among Republicans (60%), Independents (64%) and Democrats (84%).

This scorecard was created by Twin Cities, MN community leaders to ensure that the principles and practices of equitable development, environmental justice, and affordability are applied in all communities as they plan for economic development and wealth creation that benefits everyone.