Equitable Economic Growth in BIPOC Communities
Not all of London’s residents and businesses were benefiting from the city’s economic growth equally and equitably.
A new consortium- based approach with the city’s economic development office, and an integration of clear measurement and communication schemes were critical in designing and launching a more effective strategy. Key outcomes and impact included:
BIPOC BUSINESS OWNERS SATISFACTION RATE WITHIN 1 YEAR
65% increase
BIPOC COMMUNITY JOB AVAILABILITY WITHIN 1 YEAR
12% increase
RECEIVING JOB RETRAINING AND CAREER SUPPORT
+14,500 people
The City of London has been experiencing significant demographic and economic growth, attracting new residents, businesses, and investment. However, not all residents and businesses were benefiting equally. Specifically, concentrations of BIPOC populations and business owners were being displaced, and BIPOC communities were not benefitting from improvements in services and infrastructure at the same rate as non-BIPOC ones.
Working with the city’s economic development team, Sowen designed a 3-year equitable economic development and mobility strategy. This involved bringing together all relevant city departments and partners, aggregating relevant data from local and national government, and applying local insights to fully articulate and prioritize the challenges at hand
Redefining near and long-term goals and objectives and aligning current and future resources and capacity were critical to launch a program that was relevant and effective. Identifying the intersectionality of income inequalities, measuring progress longitudinally, and building the comms and reporting mechanisms became an integral part of the strategy for the first time.