Community engagement and project management to develop Colorado EnviroScreen
The Client: Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
The Challenge: In 2021, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) decided to create Colorado EnviroScreen, an open-access mapping tool to support environmental justice efforts across the state. To accomplish this large undertaking, CDPHE needed a team with diverse skill sets to lead community engagement, design metrics, and build an interactive map. They selected a CSU team that IBE brought together.
Our Approach: IBE worked closely with CSU partners, the Geospatial Centroid and Rojas Public Health Lab, to develop an interactive environmental health mapping tool informed by the community to meet CDPHE’s goals. IBE served as team and project manager, and led community engagement efforts that included interviews, focus groups, and public meetings (in both Spanish and English). IBE also synthesized community learnings into design recommendations that the Centroid and Rojas Public Health Lab used to inform project metrics and the mapping interface.
The Outcomes: The CSU team’s work culminated in the launch of Colorado EnviroScreen v1.0 in mid-2022. CDPHE used CSU’s recommendations to inform improvements made to version 2.0, published in late 2024. The tool is enabling policymakers and activists to identify communities that have a disproportionate burden of health or environmental harm; ultimately, the tool can help drive support toward equity-driven interventions so that everyone in Colorado has the same protection from environmental and health hazards.
Key Outcomes
- Helped diverse users identify environmental justice priorities and advocate for equity-driven solutions
- Gathered community input to guide future improvements to Colorado EnviroScreen
Deliverables
- Statewide, open-access environmental justice mapping tool and user guides
- Community engagement reports and future tool design recommendations
