Diving into the data – together
We at South Sound Together are proud of our role in helping launch the South Sound Alliance, a group of leaders from the region’s public, private and nonprofit sectors working together to brainstorm ways to make our region stronger and more successful. The leaders, chosen in part for their commitment to cooperation and inclusive decision making, began meeting in January. They’ve been talking about the issues that face our region – including Pierce County, southern King County and parts of Mason and Thurston counties – and seeking creative ways to cooperate regionally and compete globally.
The project was the vision of Ali Modarres, Ph.D., a professor and director of Urban Studies at the University of Washington Tacoma. Professor Modarres and his students are supporting the group with valuable information, including profiles of the cities and regions within South Sound. For example, they are pulling data that helps the group better understand the 100,000 commuters who live in Pierce County and work in King County, compiling details about what industries and types of jobs are luring commuters north.
The group gathers monthly, and meetings move around the region to increase accessibility. So far, the Alliance’s focus has been on economic development; future topics for discussion may include health, education and housing.
Check out some of the community profiles that are part of the data compiled for the South Sound Alliance at tacoma.uw.edu/urbanstudies
What topics would you like to see the alliance tackle? What could we learn from the data we have, and what questions could shape future data gathering? Send us an email and let us know!
