Track and visualize equity goals

The third step in applying the Racial Equity and Social Justice workflow to GIS is to monitor the performance of equity goals. In this tutorial, you conducted a survey to find out which area participants want a new park in. You will compare the race and ethnicity of those who participated in a feedback survey to the makeup of the local community. Comparing this data will help you determine how well those who participated in your survey reflect the community where the new park will be built.

You will use analysis tools and create charts to visualize the race and ethnicity data and create a web app to share your findings with the community. As more survey entries are completed, the data will automatically update in both the map and app, increasing transparency and participation in the project.

In this tutorial, you will do the following:

• Use the Enrich Layers tool
• Create pie charts
• Create a web app

This tutorial was last tested on January 26, 2024.

View final result

Requirements

• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role in an ArcGIS organization (see options for software access)

Track and visualize equity goals

Enrich potential park areas

You will begin by opening a web map that contains the locations of current parks and the areas where a new park would most benefit the community. You will use map analysis tools in Map Viewer to add race and ethnicity data to the potential new park areas.

1. Open the Visualize equity goals web map.

   The map appears in Map Viewer.

   

2. Sign in to your ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.

3. On the Settings (light) toolbar, click Analysis.

   Tip:

   To see the labels on the Settings toolbar, at the bottom of the toolbar, click Expand.

   The Analysis pane appears.

4. In the Analysis pane, click Tools.

   

5. In the Tools pane, in the search bar, type enrich. In the list of results, click Enrich Layer.

   

   The Enrich Layer tool allows you to add a wide variety of demographic data to the input feature layer. It is a useful tool for feature layers that are unique shapes and different from typical geographic sizes like counties and census tracts.

6. In the Enrich Layer tool pane, for Input features, choose Possible park locations.
7. For Enrichment variables, click the Variable button.

   

   The Data Browser window appears.

   You will select race and ethnicity variables.

   Note:

   In the United States, the Census Bureau collects demographic data for several categories of race and further distinguishes the categories by the Hispanic ethnicity. Although these categories are limited in capturing the diverse and complex range of people groups, experiences, and cultures, it remains a reliable data source to use for analysis to better understanding how race and ethnicity might correlate to other experiences of equity in the U.S.

8. In the Data Browser window, click Race.

   

9. On the Race Variables page, click Non Hispanic Origin.

   

10. Expand the 2023 Race and Hispanic Origin (Esri) section. Check the boxes for the following variables:
    • 2023 White Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)
    • 2023 Black/African American Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)
    • 2023 American Indian/Alaska Native Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)
    • 2023 Asian Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)
    • 2023 Pacific Islander Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)
    • 2023 Other Race Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)
    • 2023 Multiple Races Non-Hispanic Population (Esri)

    

    Seven variables have been selected.

    

11. Click the Back button.
12. Click Hispanic Origin.
13. Expand the 2023 Race and Hispanic Origin (Esri) section and check the box for 2023 Hispanic Population (Esri).

    You now have eight selected variables.

14. At the bottom of the Data Browser window, click Select.

    The eight variables are added to the Enrich Layer tool pane.

15. In the Enrich Layer tool pane, for Output name, type Possible park locations race and add your name or initials.
16. Click Estimate credits.

    

    Running this tool requires 2.96 credits.

17. Click Run.

    As the tool runs, you can view the tool progress on the History tab.

    

    The Possible park locations race layer adds to the Layers pane and to the map.

    

    It does not look different from the Possible park locations layer because the polygons are the same shape, but the Possible park locations race layer contains data for the selected race and ethnicity variables.

18. In the Layers pane, for the Possible park locations race layer, click the Options button and choose Show table.

    

    The table appears with the race and ethnicity variables you added using the Enrich Layers tool.

    

    Before you continue, you will save the map.

19. On the Contents toolbar, click Save and open and click Save as.

    

20. In the Save map window, for Title, type Equity goals for park placement and add your name or initials. For Summary, delete the existing text and type A map to track and visualize equity goals for placing a new park in the Upton neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland.

    

21. Click Save.

You have added race and ethnicity data to the possible park areas. Next, you will create charts to visualize the racial and ethnic makeup of the possible park areas and survey participants.

Create charts from survey results

In this section, you will configure pie charts to visualize the race and ethnicity data as proportions. This will help you understand the percent of each category relative to each other and to the total number of residents or participants.

First, you will add data from your survey results.

1. In the Layers pane, click Add.

   

2. In the Add layers pane, click My content and choose ArcGIS Online.

   

3. In the search bar, type community feedback results owner:Learn_ArcGIS and press Enter.

   Note:

   You can create this data on your own by completing the Engage the community with a feedback survey

   ArcGIS tutorial.

4. For the Park proposal community feedback (Learn)_results feature layer, click Add.

   

   The layer adds to the map.

5. Click the back arrow to return to the Layers pane.

   The default layer name generated from ArcGIS Survey123 is very long, so you will rename it to a shorter name.

6. In the Layers pane, for the Park proposal community feedback (Learn)_results layer, click the Options button and click Rename.

   

7. For Title, type Feedback results and click OK.

   The layer is renamed.

   

   Next, you will create a chart from the Feedback results layer.

8. In the Layers pane, ensure the Feedback results layer is selected. On the Settings toolbar, click Configure charts

   

9. In the Charts pane, click Add chart and choose Pie chart.

   

10. In the Data pane, for Category, choose What race and ethnicity do you identify most with.

    

    The chart populates with the survey responses to this question.

    Next, you will update the chart title.

11. Click the General tab. For Chart title, type Survey respondents' race/ethnicity.

    

    The pie chart is configured.

    

    The chart shows that the majority of the survey participants identified as Non-Hispanic Black, followed by Non-Hispanic White and Hispanic participants.

    Next, you will create a pie chart to show the race and ethnicity makeup of the possible park location areas.

12. Click Layers. In the Layers pane, click the Possible park locations race layer to select it.
13. In the Charts pane, click Add chart and choose Pie chart.
14. In the Data pane, for Slices from, choose Fields.
15. Click Select numeric fields and check the following fields:
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic White Pop
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic Black Pop
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic American Indian Pop
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic Asian Pop
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic Pacific Islander Pop
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic Other Race Pop
    • 2023 Non-Hispanic Multiple Race Pop
    • 2023 Hispanic Population

    

16. Click the General tab. For Chart title, type Possible park area residents' race/ethnicity.

    The second pie chart is configured.

    

    The chart shows that the majority of residents in the possible park areas identify as Non-Hispanic Black, followed by Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White. Although the Non-Hispanic Black population are the largest groups in both of the charts, the proportion of Non-Hispanic Black population in the community (86%) is overall higher compared to those who participated in the survey (60%). The Hispanic (14%) and Non-Hispanic White (20%) populations are much more represented in the survey compared to the proportion that live in the community (4.5%).

    The example data in this tutorial suggests that Non-Hispanic White survey participants are over-represented (20%) considering they only make up 4.4% of the residential population. The same is true for the Hispanic survey participants. The Non-Hispanic Black survey participants, which make up most of the residential population (86%) are somewhat under-represented in the survey (60%). This data helps you measure your goal of ensuring the survey feedback representative of the population that will benefit most from the potential of an added park. While this does not necessarily mean the survey results are invalid, it is an important factor to consider.

    • What perspectives are being over-represented?
    • What perspectives and experiences might be missing based on these findings?
    • How might this inform outreach efforts for more survey participants?

    You also notice that the slice colors for the Hispanic population and Non-Hispanic White population do not match one another in the charts. In the next section, you will update the slice colors so that they match.

    Next, you will finalize configuration of the charts and map before creating a web app.

17. On the Contents toolbar, click Save and open and click Save to save the map.

    You have created two pie charts showing the racial and ethnic makeup of the possible park areas and the survey participants.

Prepare web map for creating an app

Before you create the web app, you will review and update the chart style. You will create a Sketch layer to label the possible park area options.

Earlier in the tutorial, you noticed that in the Possible park areas residents' race/ethnicity chart that the Hispanic population slice was a light blue color and Non-Hispanic White population slice was a green color. In the Survey respondents' race/ethnicity chart, the slice colors for these two populations are reversed. You will update the slice colors so that they match.

1. On the Contents toolbar, click Charts.

   

   The charts you have created are listed in the Charts pane.

2. In the Chart pane, click Survey respondents' race/ethnicity. On the Settings toolbar, click Configure Charts.
3. In the Charts pane, click the options button and click Edit.

   

4. Click the Slices tab. Under Slices, click the symbol for Non-Hispanic White.

   

5. In the Slice style window, next to Saved, click the add button.

   

   The light blue color is saved to the Slice style window.

   

6. In the Slices pane, click the symbol for the Hispanic slice.
7. In the Slice style window, next to Saved, click the add button.

   The green color is saved to the Slice style window.

8. Under Saved, click the light blue color.

   

9. In the Slices pane, click the symbol for Non-Hispanic White. In the Slice style window, under Saved, click the green color.

   The chart slice colors are updated to match the other chart's category styles.

   

10. Close the chart.

    Next, you will create a Sketch layer to label each of the possible park area options.

11. On the Contents toolbar, click Layers. In the Layers pane, click the drop-down arrow next to the Add button and click Create Sketch layer.

    

12. In the Sketch toolbar, click the Text tool.

    

13. In the Sketch pane, for Content, type Option A.

    

14. On the map, click the possible park area east of downtown.

    

15. In the Sketch tool pane, click Select to deselect the Option A text.

    Next, you will add two more labels.

16. In the Sketch pane, for Content, type Option B. Click the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood area.

    

17. Use what you have learned to add the label Option C to the Upton neighborhood area.

    

18. Zoom out so that you can see all the possible park areas.

    

19. Save the map.

    You have finalized the configuration of your web map. You are ready to create an Instant Apps app.

Create a chart viewer app

You will create an Instant Apps app from the web map using the Chart Viewer template.

1. On the Contents toolbar, click Create app and choose Instant Apps.

   

2. For the Chart Viewer template, click Choose.

   

3. In the Create app - Chart Viewer window, for the title, type Equity goals tracking app. Click Create app.

   The app configuration window appears.

4. In the Express pane, click Step 2. Charts.

   

   You will configure the legend for each of the charts to automatically appear when the app opens.

5. In the Charts pane, under Manage charts, for the Survey respondents' race/ethnicity, click the options button and click Edit.

   

6. Turn on Chart legend open at start and click Done.

   

   The legend is visible on the chart.

   

7. Expand the Possible park locations race layer.

   

8. Use what you have learned to turn on Chart legend open at start for the Possible park area residents' race/ethnicity chart.

   To view the Possible park area resident's race/ethnicity chart, you will switch which layer you are viewing in the chart pane.

9. In the chart pane in the app preview, click Switch layer to view more charts and click the Possible park locations race layer.

   

   The chart pane includes a tool that filters data summarized in the chart based on the map extent.

10. On the map, zoom in to the Option C area.

    

11. In the chart pane, click Filter by extent.

    

    The chart updates to show summarized data based on the map extent.

    

12. In the chart viewer, click the Switch layer to view more charts and click Feedback results.
13. In the chart viewer, click Filter by extent.

    The chart updates to show data for the map extent.

    

    You have configured the app, enabling the legend to be viewed upon opening the charts, and explored the filter by extent tool.

Finalize the app

Because web apps are typically created to share with others, it is important to consider what information your potential audience might need to interact with and understand the data effectively. You can configure the app title and an introduction text to help your audience learn what the app is about and how to use it.

1. In the Chart pane, click Next.

   

   The About pane appears.

2. For App title, delete the text containing your name or initials.
3. Turn on Introduction window and Open introduction window at start.

   

4. Under Introduction window content, click the Edit button.

   

5. In the Introduction window content window, delete the existing text and copy and paste the following:

   The app contains a map with the possible locations for a new park and the location where survey participants live. The charts show pie charts of the race and ethnicity makeup for those who participated in the survey so you can compare with the makeup of the neighborhood.

   Instructions:

   To view the charts, click the Switch layers button to choose a new layer. Zoom and pan the map and click Filter by extent to update the chart to show data for the map extent.

6. Highlight the text Instructions: and click the bold button.

   Next, you will add some text to help viewers better understand the map in the app.

7. Below the first paragraph, copy and paste the following text:

   	
   The map shows:
   Existing parks, in green
   Area for new parks, in blue
   Survey participant location, in red

   

8. Highlight the text Existing parks, in green, click Font Color and choose Green.

   Tip:

   To see the name of a color, point to the color.

   

9. Use what you have learned to add a font color to the remaining descriptions:
   • For Areas for new parks, in blue, choose Blue.
   • For Survey participant locations, in red, choose Red.

   The Introduction window content is configured.

   

10. Click Close.

    You are now ready to publish the app.

11. At the bottom of the About pane, click Publish.

    

12. In the Publish window, click Confirm.
13. In the Share window, click Launch.

    The app opens in a new browser.

    

14. Explore the app. View each of the charts, adjust the map extent, and click the Filter by extent button to update the pie chart data.
15. Return to the browser tab with the Instant Apps configuration window.

    Next, you will configure the share settings so that anyone with a link to your app can view it.

16. In the Share window, click Change share settings.

    

17. In the Share window, click Everyone (public) and click Save.
18. In the Review sharing window, click Update sharing.

When conducting an equity workflow, it is important to assess how well you are achieving your equity goals. In this tutorial, you used map analysis tools and charts to measure progress towards an equity goal of how closely the survey participants' race and ethnicity makeup aligns with the community that will be impacted by the new park. By providing a way for the community to choose a prioritized new park location, you enabled a community-driven process of participation and advocacy. The results can inform the way you continue your outreach efforts, assess how you recruited survey participants, and how you will communicate these findings back to the community.

Another crucial aspect of equity work is community engagement and involvement. By visualizing race and ethnicity data and survey participant data in an interactive app that is shared with the community, you can enhance opportunities for participation, transparency, and collaboration. Creating these opportunities has the potential to advance equity in communities that need it the most.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• All Adobe Stock images are © 2024 Adobe Stock. All rights reserved.
• USA Parks: Esri, TomTom
• Human Geography Map sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community