The Dallas Equity Indicators project was
developed through a collaboration among the City University of New York’s
Institute for State and Local Governance (CUNY ISLG), the City of Dallas, and
the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) as a comprehensive tool to help
Dallas understand and measure progress toward equity in our community. We are
also grateful to The Rockefeller Foundation and the Communities Foundation of
Texas (CFT) for their support of this project.
The Equity Indicators report was developed in
conjunction with the Resilient Dallas Strategy (RDS), as part of Dallas’
participation in 100 Resilient Cities—Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation.
The RDS is structured around seven essential goals, the first of which is
advancing equity in Dallas.1 The Equity Indicators have been integrated into
the goals, initiatives, and actions of the RDS and serve as a measurement and
accountability tool as the City pursues the necessary work of furthering equity
for all Dallas residents.
The Equity Indicators are designed to measure
disparities in outcomes across 60 indicators grouped into five thematic areas:
- Economic
Opportunity
- Education
- Neighborhoods
and Infrastructure
- Justice
and Government
- Public
Health
The framework was developed through a
collaborative, iterative process with data experts from local universities and nonprofit
service providers under the guidance of CUNY ISLG and was refined in the data
analysis phase of the project. The findings from the Equity Indicators can be
used by residents, businesses, nonprofit leaders, City administrators, and
elected officials to focus public policy efforts on creating opportunities and
improving outcomes for all residents.
We are sharing these findings publicly so
communities can hold the City accountable for its efforts to improve outcomes
for all our residents. The City of Dallas is committed to increasing
transparency through regular analysis and publication of these findings,
providing a clear view into disparities in our community and how they change
over time.
Several outcomes assessed for this initiative
are not entirely under the City’s control but fall within the purview of other
governmental agencies such as school districts, the state legislature or state
agencies, quasigovernmental agencies, nonprofit service providers, or private
businesses. However, all groups and individuals experiencing the disparities
reported in this study are residents of Dallas (or Dallas County when we could
not access data at the city level). It is our responsibility to work together
to combat these disparities and advance equity.