Planning staff seeks commission feedback on completed Racial and Social Equity Action Plan; Equity Advisory Council members testify

The San Francisco Planning Department on Jan. 16 presented a completed Racial and Social Equity Action Plan that moves the department from internal reforms toward externally-focused strategies for equitable planning and community engagement.

Carlo D'Messa of the Community Equity Division told the Planning Commission that the new plan sections complete the department's work and provide a roadmap for implementation, monitoring and community-driven planning. Staff sought commissioner feedback on the proposed equitable planning and community engagement strategies and said it will return to the commission in March for adoption.

Why it matters: The plan is intended to institutionalize equity in planning operations, policies and outreach after a 2020 commission resolution apologized for planning's role in historic harms and committed the department to centering racial and social equity in decision-making. Commissioners and community advisors said the plan must include mechanisms for implementation, tracking and sustained resources.

What the plan covers

Staff emphasized that the department's…