OUR GOAL

To inform, support and promote a body of research reflecting the assets, opportunities and challenges of SELA that can be used to drive regional discourse and solutions.

OUR PURPOSE

The SELA Collaborative identified the lack of available data on the region as a key obstacle.

Current data is fragmented, hidden within larger data sets, and organized by different geographic classifications which makes useful comparisons difficult. In other words, residents and stakeholders are challenged to produce a clear snapshot of the region’s social, economic, and political well-being. As such, understanding regional problems and galvanizing regional action is difficult. The problem of accessing reliable data on the region manifests across multiple sectors from education, health, environment, civic engagement, and so on.

This strategic priority is grounded in two critical bodies of research led by our Collaborative Member, Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA: Our 2016 Asset Mapping report and our 2017 Transportation Report. Findings from these reports were presented at the Summit of Possibilities (2016 & 2017), which engaged over 300 SELA residents, elected officials, non-profit leaders, and agencies.

In 2019, the Collaborative released two more key reports: our Nonprofit Needs Assessment, with development led by Hub Cities, and our Policy and Advocacy Agenda, with development led by Alliance for a Better Community. These documents will serve as the foundation for our future work and focus areas.