Just Places and Paths: Equitable Transit-Oriented Development in Vancouver, Washington

The Southwest Washington Equity Coalition (SWEC) has been actively engaged in multiple efforts to uplift BIPOC communities in the City of Vancouver and Clark County. SWEC has partnered with Rhododendron Planning for a project to develop a toolkit to guide future Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) that considers the specific needs and desires of BIPOC communities, which can be used for current and future policy initiatives. This work comes at a time of escalating development, inward migration, and diversification, putting pressure on present and burgeoning BIPOC communities. Between 2010 and 2020, the population of BIPOC communities living in Vancouver, Washington, has increased by 64%.The Report discusses the defining characteristics of two focus areas, comprising Fruit Valley and parts of Fourth Plain, that have been identified to empower BIPOC communities through the co-creation of policy recommendations for the upcoming Comprehensive Plan Update and beyond.