Participatory Mapping
On July 13, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the motion, “Recovering Better Than Before: Ensuring Equitable Implementation of the American Rescue Plan,” to guide the equitable implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act and strengthen the County’s equity data and accountability infrastructure. A key component of the motion directed the County’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative to conduct a study of non-geographically concentrated communities and develop tools to better understand and respond to their needs. The study addresses gaps in data systems that make it difficult to address the specific needs of dispersed populations in planning, funding, and service delivery.
The Participatory Mapping Study is a study of non-geographically concentrated communities to better understand and respond to their needs. The study addresses gaps in data systems that make it difficult to address the specific needs of dispersed populations in planning, funding, and service delivery.
Using community-led participatory mapping, surveys, and facilitated workshops, the study elevated lived experience, relational networks, and culturally grounded knowledge alongside spatial analysis. The study focused on seven communities of interest: people with disabilities and American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, immigrant, lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer, and transgender, gender-diverse and intersex communities.
In partnership with trusted community-based organizations, the research team conducted 21 participatory mapping workshops with 186 participants and collected approximately 400 survey responses countywide. All data were anonymized and aggregated to protect confidentiality while enabling countywide analysis.
Why This Study Matters
County services and investments depend on data and mapping tools to determine where resources are located and who can access them. When dispersed communities are not visible in traditional, place-based data systems, their needs and barriers to access may go unaddressed. Participatory mapping fills this gap by revealing real-world access patterns, enabling the County to make more equitable, informed, and effective service decisions.
Communities Engaged
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN)
Asian American
Immigrant
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+)
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI)
People with Disabilities
Transgender, Transsexual, Gender-Diverse, and Intersex (TGI)
How the Study Was Conducted
The process involved multiple steps, stakeholders, and communities. In order to arrive at the study’s findings, the research team:
Hosted 21 participatory mapping workshops in-person and virtually
Engaged 186 community members in workshops
Collected approximately 400 survey responses
Partnered with trusted community-based organizations which served as engagement partners
Used multilingual, culturally responsive tools throughout process
Mapped data were digitized and analyzed using GIS software and integrated into the County’s Equity Explorer platform.