Digging Deeper: How Cities Can Fix Hidden Inequities in Infrastructure Funding

Across America, potholes aren’t the only cracks in our infrastructure- equity is too. For decades, wealthier neighborhoods have seen faster fixes and shinier upgrades, while lower-income communities continue to wait, caught in cycles of underinvestment. But as cities embrace new tools- from equity-based scoring models to participatory budgeting- a shift is underway. Public Works departments are starting to see that fairness isn’t a policy add-on; it’s the foundation of resilient, thriving communities. The challenge now is turning that awareness into accountability and ensuring that every project, from storm drains to streetlights, serves the people who need it most.

Addressing Equity in Infrastructure Prioritization

Public Works departments are at the forefront of translating policy intentions into physical infrastructure, and the prioritization of capital projects often reflects the influence of social hierarchies. Communities with higher income levels or more political influence tend to receive quicker responses to infrastructure needs, including road repairs, drainage improvements, and expanded utility services. Research shows that capital improvement plans (CIPs) frequently favor areas with greater civic engagement and established stakeholder networks, while lower-income neighborhoods may wait years for similar upgrades despite having more acute infrastructure needs¹. These disparities in project scheduling and resource allocation exacerbate existing inequalities and can entrench patterns of underinvestment in marginalized communities.

To mitigate these imbalances, municipalities can adopt equity-weighted scoring models during project selection. By incorporating indicators such as vulnerability indices, health disparities, and historical disinvestment into the capital planning process, officials can better identify and prioritize projects in underserved areas². Additionally, publishing criteria used for project selection enhances transparency and allows residents to understand how decisions are made. Several cities, including Seattle and Portland, have implemented equity frameworks in their transportation and utility departments to ensure more balanced outcomes³. Embedding equity in infrastructure planning requires not only policy commitment but also capacity-building among staff to use new tools and engage differently with the public.

Inclusive Engagement in Public Works Planning

Traditional public engagement methods, such as open houses and formal comment periods, often fail to reach residents most affected by infrastructure decisions. Language barriers, lack of childcare, and meeting times that conflict with work schedules limit participation from low-income and minority communities. As a result, their perspectives are underrepresented in decisions about where to locate facilities, how to design streetscapes, and which services to expand. This exclusion contributes to planning outcomes that do not reflect the needs of all residents, leading to mismatches between infrastructure investments and community priorities⁴.

Public Works departments can address these gaps by adopting more accessible and proactive engagement strategies. Partnering with community-based organizations, hosting events in non-traditional venues such as local schools or houses of worship, and offering multilingual materials and facilitators can significantly improve participation rates. Participatory budgeting is another tool that allows residents to directly allocate a portion of infrastructure funding, fostering greater trust and alignment between government actions and community needs⁵. These approaches require time and resources, but the resulting plans are more likely to be equitable, resilient, and publicly supported.

Operationalizing Equity Through Asset Management

Many Public Works departments are transitioning toward data-driven asset management systems to guide maintenance and investment decisions. These platforms typically evaluate infrastructure condition, failure risk, and lifecycle cost. While technically robust, such systems may inadvertently reinforce inequity if they do not account for social context. For example, replacing a sewer line in a wealthy neighborhood because of higher assessed property values may be prioritized over a system in a disadvantaged area with more frequent service disruptions but lower economic opportunity⁶.

To counter this, equity metrics should be integrated into asset management criteria. Factors such as service reliability, population vulnerability, and proximity to critical facilities like schools and hospitals can be weighted alongside technical indicators. The City of Oakland's Department of Transportation, for instance, uses an Equity Index to determine pavement repair priorities, incorporating income, race, and access to transit⁷. Institutionalizing such practices requires cross-departmental collaboration and consistent direction from senior leadership to align operational protocols with broader equity goals.

Workforce Diversity and Internal Capacity

Equitable public works delivery also depends on who designs, manages, and implements municipal infrastructure. A lack of diversity within engineering, planning, and operations teams can limit understanding of community needs and reduce the cultural competency of engagement efforts. Nationally, people of color and women remain underrepresented in public works professions, particularly in supervisory and executive roles⁸. This imbalance can influence which issues are perceived as priorities and how solutions are framed.

Municipalities can take concrete steps to build a more inclusive workforce, starting with recruitment strategies that target underrepresented groups through partnerships with trade schools, universities, and professional associations. Mentorship programs, apprenticeship pipelines, and internal promotion pathways help retain diverse talent and support advancement into leadership roles. Regular equity audits of departmental hiring and promotion practices can also identify structural barriers and guide corrective action⁹. A more representative workforce not only leads to better community engagement but also strengthens problem-solving and innovation within Public Works.

Improving Service Equity Through Performance Metrics

Performance measurement is a foundational tool for improving service delivery, but metrics must be carefully designed to reflect equity considerations. Many departments track response times, service coverage, and customer satisfaction, but fail to disaggregate data by geography or demographics. As a result, disparities in service levels across neighborhoods can go undetected and unaddressed. For instance, street sweeping or snow removal schedules may consistently favor central business districts over residential areas with limited political influence¹⁰.

Incorporating equity into performance dashboards allows departments to see where gaps exist and respond accordingly. Regularly published service equity reports, broken down by district or census tract, help identify persistent disparities in maintenance, repairs, and capital investments. These reports can also serve as accountability tools for elected officials and department leaders. The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation, for example, uses spatial analysis to ensure that bulky item pick-up services are equitably distributed across all neighborhoods, based on call volume and service requests¹¹. Making equity visible through metrics is a critical step toward institutional change.

Embedding Equity in Emergency Response and Resilience Planning

Public Works plays a vital role in emergency management, from debris removal and flood control to critical infrastructure restoration. Yet, socially vulnerable populations often suffer the most during and after disasters due to inadequate infrastructure and limited access to recovery resources. Studies after Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy revealed that communities of color and low-income residents experienced slower recovery and greater long-term hardship, partly due to pre-existing infrastructure deficits¹².

Integrating equity into resilience planning means prioritizing investments that reduce risk in the most vulnerable areas. Public Works departments can conduct social vulnerability assessments as part of their hazard mitigation strategies to target drainage improvements, reinforce lifeline infrastructure, and ensure continuity of essential services. Coordination with emergency management agencies, housing departments, and community groups is essential for identifying needs and deploying resources fairly. By centering equity in resilience efforts, municipalities can enhance both preparedness and long-term recovery capacity.

Bibliography

City of Portland Bureau of Transportation. "Capital Improvement Plan Equity Matrix." Portland.gov. Accessed April 2, 2024. https://www.portland.gov/transportation/capital-improvement/cip-equity.
American Society of Civil Engineers. "Equity in Infrastructure: A Framework for Public Agencies." March 2022. https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/equity-framework.
Seattle Department of Transportation. "Transportation Equity Program." Seattle.gov. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/transportation-equity-program.
Fainstein, Susan S. "The Just City." International Journal of Urban Sciences 16, no. 1 (2012): 1-18.
Participatory Budgeting Project. "How Participatory Budgeting Works." Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.participatorybudgeting.org/how-pb-works/.
National Association of City Transportation Officials. "Guidelines for Equitable Asset Management." NACTO Reports, 2021. https://nacto.org/resource/equitable-asset-management.
City of Oakland Department of Transportation. "Paving Plan Equity Framework." Oaklandca.gov. Accessed April 2, 2024. https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/oakland-paving-plan.
American Public Works Association. "Diversity and Inclusion in Public Works." APWA Reporter, July 2023.
International City/County Management Association. "Advancing Equity in Local Government." ICMA Report, 2022.
Office of the New York City Comptroller. "Snow Removal and Equity." Comptroller.nyc.gov, February 2021. https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/snow-removal-and-equity-report/.
Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. "Equitable Bulky Item Collection Report." City of Los Angeles, 2023. https://www.lacitysan.org/bulky-item-equity.
Peacock, Walter Gillis, et al. "Inequities in Long-Term Housing Recovery after Disasters." Journal of the American Planning Association 80, no. 4 (2014): 356-371.