Font ResizeThe city of Boulder's a happy place, with a highly educated citizenry, a beautiful environment, and a booming economy. It's undeniable that those who can afford to live in Boulder also enjoy unparalleled amenities, from many square miles of open space to fabulous schools and recreation centers. So, what's missing?
As it turns out, a whole lot of what makes a community a community.
The Boulder of today has a much less diverse population than across Colorado and the United States. Boulder's recent Community Perception Assessment also tells us that not all residents and visitors see our community as uniformly welcoming. And many of our workers have long and difficult commutes into town because they can't find adequate affordable housing here, leading to more stratification.
Together, these elements paint a picture of uneven opportunity for diverse populations to access our community. Inequality of wealth and opportunity is a nationwide issue, but it's one that we in Boulder, given our core social justice values and appreciation for the benefits of cultural diversity, are compelled to confront. Fortunately, by putting our conviction into action and working together, we have the tools to build a more inclusive society and economy.We view the solutions as the "Three Pillars for a More Inclusive Community."
Workforce Housing
One conclusion from the Community Perception Assessment was particularly disturbing: "Lack of affordable housing and access to basic living supplies is generating a more homogenous, wealthy community. Consequently, the lack of diversity has a negative impact on perceptions of belonging and general awareness of inequalities present within the community." We'd go further: Lack of diversity in thought and experience dampens long-term creativity and innovation, the foundation of Boulder's entrepreneurial economy.
Done right, providing for denser living, working and shopping could help drive down housing costs and lower carbon footprint, in addition to promoting diversity. Progressive places around the world are doing just that in creative ways that emphasize people-centered design and environmental efficiency. These development characteristics also help drive economic sustainability, providing the community with ready access to a wider variety of skilled workers.
Workforce Mobility
Lack of access to reliable and efficient transportation connections to Boulder are another barrier for lower-income populations to engagement in our community. The consequences are particularly insidious with respect to the higher-paying job opportunities available in Boulder. A Harvard study found that commute times were a crucial predictor of upward social mobility, and that "families living in areas with shorter average commute times had a better chance of moving up the economic ladder."
Similarly, a study by New York University's Rudin Center for Transportation noted the adverse results of inadequate access to mobility options, such as mass transit. As a New York Times report on the study highlighted, "Areas . . . with some, but insufficient, access to transportation . . . had the highest rates of unemployment and the lowest incomes." The obvious conclusion: If we want to help reduce income and wealth inequality, and make Boulder a more welcoming community for diverse populations, we need to improve regional mobility options.
Workforce Development
Boulder's unemployment rate is now hovering at around 2.2 percent, continuing near historic lows. Not surprisingly, one of the most common complaints we hear from business leaders is that they can't find enough qualified workers for their open jobs, whether on the kitchen crew or in the programming team. What's unfortunate, though, is much talent is all around us in the form of an under-employed workforce. In many instances, it isn't that job training isn't available, it's just not available to the full diversity of our population that could benefit.
As an example from one field that has particular resonance in Boulder, the Brookings Institution just reported on the digitalization divide across our nation that helps to drive an increasingly uneven spread of high-paying digital jobs by gender, race, ethnicity and access across cities and metro areas. As more jobs are "digitalizing," we need to address both the identified access disparity and a dire economic condition by making sure a wider variety of workers are appropriately trained. Much the same can be said of any skilled profession that is now clamoring for talent.
As a community that recognizes the value of diversity, Boulder must take action in the three areas we outline above. That means finding the common ground in our political dialogue that currently hinders progress on these fronts and towards a more inclusive society. Our fate as a true community depends on it.
Jose D. Beteta is executive director of the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County. John Tayer is president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber.
