SCAG Releases Final Racial Equity Early Action Plan Update
SCAG is releasing the final update to the Racial Equity Action Early Plan—culminating a three-year process to center equity in SCAG plans and processes.
The SCAG Regional Council adopted the Racial Equity Early Action Plan on May 6, 2021, to guide and sustain SCAG’s regional and organizational leadership in service of equity and social justice. The racial equity framework adopted by SCAG’s Regional Council in May 2021 established four overarching categories of activity to advance racial equity through SCAG’s policies, practices, and activities:
- Shift Organizational Culture: Focus SCAG’s internal work and practices on inclusion, diversity, equity, and awareness.
- Center Racial Equity in Regional Policy and Planning: Bring equity into SCAG’s regional planning functions.
- Encourage Racial Equity in Local Planning Practices: Promote racial equity in efforts involving local elected officials and planning professionals.
- Activate and Amplify: Communicate broadly SCAG’s commitment to racial equity and join others in different fields and sectors to amplify impact.
The update released today by SCAG summarizes 32 early actions included in the Racial Equity Early Action Plan, detailing accomplishments and laying the groundwork for a sustainable approach to equitable planning for the long term. Some highlights of these accomplishments include:
- To accomplish the goal of shifting organizational culture, an internal Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access team was developed to oversee ongoing equity efforts and facilitate equity-focused training sessions.
- In centering racial equity in regional policy and planning, SCAG staff embedded equity considerations by establishing Communities of Concern representatives in policy committees, adding equity training as part of Regional Council member orientation, embedding equity goals, policies, and metrics in Connect SoCal, and forming a dedicated Equity Working Group.
- To further SCAG’s equity goal of encouraging racial equity in local planning, SCAG staff successfully expanded Toolbox Tuesday trainings to include equity-focused series annually; incorporated equity as a focus on various funding opportunities like the Sustainable Communities Program – Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice call for applications; and added equity considerations into the Federal Transportation Improvement Program, planning and development process.
- To activate and amplify SCAG’s commitments to advancing equity, staff developed the Inclusive Economic Recovery Strategy, recognized equity best practices throughout the region with an equity category in SCAG’s Sustainability Awards Program and developed and strengthened relationships with other agencies toward a common goal of advancing equity in the region.
SCAG is closing out the Racial Equity Early Action Plan because it has achieved the goal of providing a strong foundation to institutionalize and further racial equity within SCAG’s work. As work continues, many early actions will be incorporated into the updated SCAG Strategic Plan, Connect SoCal implementation, and various other programs.