Lacey unveils interactive equity map to guide planning; public launch planned this summer

The City of Lacey presented an interactive equity map to the City Council on June 24, showing how census tracts within the city and Lacey’s urban-growth area compare to Thurston County across five indices: accessibility, livability, education, economy and environment.

Assistant City Manager Shannon Kelly Fong said the map is intended as a data-driven decision-support tool that complements community input and other qualitative information; staff plan to publish the tool for public use in the coming months and to refresh it on a two-year cycle.

Why it matters: The equity map is intended to help staff and elected officials identify areas where targeted investments or policy changes could reduce disparities— for example, in park access, broadband connectivity, or transportation—while acknowledging that data alone does not capture lived experience and that methodology and data sources have limitations.

What the tool does and how it was built

Staff said the map was developed with consultant Community Attributes Inc. and was informed by methods used by the Kirwan Institute on Race and Ethnicity. The tool combines multiple data sets (census data, county-level indicators and state health-disparity measures) into index scores and produces a five-step rating: very high, high, moderate, low and very low, where “very low” indicates a combination of worse outcomes for indicators in the index.

Shannon Kelly Fong emphasized limitations: data are not perfect, different datasets and methodologies (for example, tree-canopy measures) can produce different results, and quantitative data should be used with community engagement. She also noted the map will be public-facing with a user guide explaining methodology, data sources and limitations.

Key features and examples

- Scope and comparison: The tool compares census tracts in Lacey and the Lacey urban-growth area to all census tracts in Thurston County, not to statewide or national baselines.

- Drill-down and exports: Users can select custom areas, toggle indices (for example, turn on only accessibility layers), view underlying datasets (for example, home Internet access, park access, voter participation) and download results as Excel spreadsheets or printable maps.

- Stakeholder input: The map was reviewed by the Commission on Equity and city executive staff; staff said the library and human-service groups will be alerted when the tool is published.

Cost and maintenance

Staff said they plan to refresh data on a two-year cycle. During the meeting, staff estimated the refresh cost at approximately $1,520,000 per refresh in the presentation materials; they described that figure as preliminary and subject to budget decisions. Staff said future expansions to the tool are possible as new datasets become available.

Quotes from the meeting

Shannon Kelly Fong: “This is one of many data-driven equity tools. Data is just one part of the story and you have to understand community differences and perspectives.”

Council questions and next steps

Council members praised the tool’s functionality and discussed potential regional uses, such as sharing data with the Thurston Regional Planning Council. Council Member Vasquez noted overlap between equity indicators and social determinants of health; staff responded that health-disparity datasets were among the sources used. Staff said they will work with communications to publicize the map to nonprofits, the library and community stakeholders when the public version goes live.

Discussion versus decisions

The presentation was informational; no formal action or policy change was proposed. Staff said the map will be posted publicly after final edits and user-guide materials are completed; they expect to publish the tool in the coming months.

Ending: Staff requested feedback and said they will continue to refine the tool and coordinate outreach before the public launch.