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Lacey unveils interactive equity map to guide planning; public launch planned this summer
Summary
City staff introduced a county-scale equity map and demonstration tool that scores census tracts across five indices. Staff said the map will be public in coming months, refreshed on a two-year cycle and used to inform planning and community outreach, not to replace qualitative input.
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…
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