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Planning Department outlines Racial and Social Equity Action Plan; preservation actions highlighted
Summary
The Planning Department presented Phase 2 of its Racial and Social Equity Action Plan, which includes strategies to center cultural preservation in planning and to expand outreach and capacity for underrepresented communities; staff highlighted landmarking, cultural district support and context‑statement work.
Planning Department staff presented Phase 2 of the department’s Racial and Social Equity Action Plan as an informational item and described how preservation work will be embedded in equity strategies.
Why it matters: The equity plan aims to broaden who participates in planning and preservation, ensure underrepresented histories are documented and preserved, and align department resources and outreach to address long‑standing racial and economic disparities.
Key elements presented - Two‑phase structure: Phase 1 focused on internal operations (hiring, resource allocation). Phase 2 focuses on external programs: equitable planning, community capacity building, cultural and historic preservation, environmental justice and equitable downtown recovery. - Preservation priorities: staff will support cultural districts, center underrepresented resources in the landmark program and complete several outstanding historic context statements (Pan‑Latino, Native American, Chinese American) to complement existing African American research. - Tools and capacity: the department described an equity assessment tool, a budget equity tool, an equity dashboard, community liaisons and a neighborhood data hub to guide outreach.
Commissioner comments and next steps - Commissioners welcomed the emphasis on elevating underrepresented histories and landmark nominations that emerge from context statements; staff cited District 8 family‑zoning landmark nominations as an early example. - Staff will finalize a public equity dashboard, set year‑one implementation tasks, and report progress at one‑, two‑ and five‑year intervals.
Staff emphasized that Phase 2 is a living document and that further input from commissioners and communities will shape implementation.
