Prioritizing Equity in Policy and Infrastructure Investment in Boulder, Colorado

Policy, zoning, and infrastructure investment decisions have created racial inequities that are still felt today. With infrastructure lifespans typically ranging to 100 years, inequities caused by infrastructure investments last for generations. Furthermore, investments in white and affluent communities far outpace the investments seen in segregated communities. Typical methods use a “losses avoided” approach to calculate project benefits that frequently results in benefit-cost ratios that favor projects in affluent areas as opposed to addressing ability to recover and life safety. With community input, the City of Boulder developed a multi-criteria decision analysis to incorporate numerous criteria, including racial equity. This paper examines the methods used to reach community members from underrepresented communities. The results of this engagement influenced how equity was incorporated into prioritizing flood projects. The model, along with metrics used to quantify equity, are presented to demonstrate how this process allows the utility to do the greatest good, first