changelabsolutions.org 8 Gather and Map Data Spatially Whenever possible, data for metrics should be gathered for each park or by neighborhood. Assessing parks at the neighborhood level has multiple advantages: • Equity. In many places, well-known boundaries segregate affluent neighborhoods, and relying on system-wide or jurisdiction-wide measurements to assess a parks system can mask areas, neighborhoods, or parks where there are notable gaps in the parks network or areas with urgent needs. To gain a more complete picture, data should be gathered by neighborhood whenever possible. Comparing data from each neighborhood will yield a deeper understanding of the variation and disparities within a city or county and can identify areas and groups where concerted attention and investment could have an outsize impact. • Efficiency. Comparative data is key to any Complete Parks analysis. This is in part because local governments can directly act on inequitable distribution of resources across neighborhoods or different parts of the county, even if there are constraints to quickly resolving any other system-wide issues the assessment may reveal. This allows even a city with very limited funding to see how it’s performing with the funds that it has, instead of measuring success against areas with more resources or different assets. • Deeper analysis and communication. Mapping metrics can capture patterns of disparity in a visual display. This can reveal areas with concentrations of issues or needed improvements. Mapping metrics can also be a compelling way of communicating those needs with elected officials, partners, community members, and other stakeholders. Metrics that are well-suited for mapping are noted in the lists of indicators for each element. Guidance on Collecting and Analyzing Data
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