We design and guide planning processes that help organizations and work groups identify, address, and prevent disparities and injustices in policies, programs, and implementation.
Each community has a unique history and culture, yet many share common challenges related to health, environmental, and quality-of-life disparities. Data and experience consistently show that communities with significant Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) populations face lower life expectancy, higher rates of asthma, increased exposure to noise and air pollution, and other systemic health, economic, and environmental inequalities.
Cascadia provides research, analysis, and partner engagement to help decision-makers fully understand the barriers, assess the impacts of policies and programs, and identify actionable pathways to address inequities and improve outcomes for all. We also collaborate with groups like King County’s Communities of Opportunity partnership to empower community-based organizations through shared learning, tool development and testing, skill building, and network strengthening.
Examples of our support include:
- Analyzing the community impacts of comprehensive plans and policies to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement
- Evaluating how public programs affect different populations to ensure fair and inclusive outcomes
- Reviewing government procurement policies to assess community impacts and recommend optimal pathways
- Designing inclusive engagement plans that prioritize community co-design and collaboration
- Developing environmental justice indicators to measure progress and guide decision-making
- Mapping environmental justice considerations to environmental risk assessments
