Asset Mapping

Asset mapping is a process used to identify and assess the strengths, resources, and capacities within a community, organization, or ecosystem. It involves systematically cataloging and analyzing tangible and intangible assets, including natural, human, social, economic, and cultural resources. Asset mapping can help communities understand the existing assets available to address challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and promote resilience and sustainability.
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Intended Outcomes

  • Characterize the state of the Bay Delta across biophysical, human, institutional and cultural dimensions, including both assets and liabilities
  • Develop an understanding of the current state of regeneration, restoration and community resilience efforts and capacity in bioregion in order to bring coherence to the ecosystem
  • Inform the development of a stakeholder assessment of the Bay Delta bioregion to identify important partners and allies to engage as this bioregional weaving effort grows
  • Serve as an open information commons for storytelling, mapping and visualization, systems modeling, etc. in order to tell the stories of the Bay Delta bioregion.

Research Questions

  • What is the current state of the ecology/health of the Bay Delta, from both a strengths and liability perspective?
    • What the impacts of land management on ecological health of the bioregion?
    • What the impacts of water management on ecological health of the bioregion?
  • What kind of regenerative/resilience/adaptation activities are currently being conducted in this bioregion? Who is doing this work?
    • What are the organizations and individuals currently conducting, supporting and funding these projects?
    • What types of assets and opportunities exist in this bioregion that can further regenerative activities in the bioregion?
  • What else?

Mapping Process

Reference: Asset Mapping Roadmap: A Guide to Assessing Regional Development Resources
Level 1 Asset Identification <<< WE ARE HERE
As the name suggests, this phase includes the identification and cataloging of all major assets relevant to regional development. Developing this list is similar to completing a product inventory in the business world. The region needs to know what it has to work with, supplement, and “sell.” At the end of this level of work, a region will have a list of the assets within its geographical borders, along with identifying information about each asset.
Level 2 Basic Evaluation
The next level of mapping allows analysts to assess the strengths and weaknesses of assets and identify gaps in the regional innovation platform. Through secondary and some primary research, the asset mapping team will be able to evaluate the significance and impact of each major type of regional asset.
Level 3 Comprehensive Assessment
The most comprehensive level of mapping moves beyond identification and gap analysis to provide a deeper understanding of the factors that drive the regional economy. This phase focuses on capturing three additional types of data:
  • Local leaders’ perspectives on the value of regional assets to their operations
  • The linkages between regional assets
  • The underlying business culture of the local community
By evaluating the specific value of regional assets to local leaders, revealing the networks that exist to leverage those assets, and assessing regional attitudes toward business and entrepreneurship, regional leaders will develop a strong knowledge base upon which to design or modify a development effort.

What Data Are We Collecting?

Below is a running list of the type of data we are collecting to better understand our bioregion. These categories comprise a vast amount of data which would be difficult to compile, so we’ll be looking to gather data to inform our research questions. There is also overlap between these categories, so take them with a grain of salt!

Natural Environment

The concept of the natural environment can be distinguished as components:
1) Complete ecological units that function as natural systems without massive civilized human intervention, including all vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, the atmosphere, and natural phenomena that occur within their boundaries and their nature.
2) Universal natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air, water, and climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism, not originating from civilized human actions.
  • Lithosphere / Geology
    • Soil composition
  • Hydrosphere / Water
    • Oceans
    • Rivers, streams
    • Bays
    • Wetlands
    • Characteristics/trends:
      • Water quality
      • Water flows
  • Atmosphere / climate and weather
    • Characteristics/trends:
      • Rainfall patters
      • Temperature patterns
  • Biosphere / Life (terrestrial and marine)
    • Flora
    • Fauna
    • Characteristics/trends:
      • Species composition
      • Population density
      • Endangered species
      • Biodiversity
      • Habitat loss
  • Wilderness / Open space:
    Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity.
    • National parks/forests
    • State parks
    • Community / regional parks
    • Greenways / linear parks

Built Environment

Physical infrastructure refers to the basic physical structures required for an economy to function and survive.
  • Water:
    • Water sources (reservoirs)
    • Water treatment facilities
    • Water utilities and associated infrastructure (e.g., dams, pipelines)
    • Water distribution networks
    • Sewer systems
    • Irrigation plants
  • Waste Management Infrastructure
  • Energy / Electrical grid
  • Public Transportation (bus/rail/boat)
  • Maritime ports
  • Airports
  • Agriculture
  • Characteristics/trends:
    • Historical development patterns

Humans

At the centre are residents of the community who all have gifts and skills. Individual gifts and assets need to be recognized and identified. In community development you cannot do anything with people’s needs, only their assets. Deficits or needs are only useful to institutions.*
  • Indigenous communities historically living in the bioregion
    • Tribes
    • Communities
    • Languages
    • Sites of importance
    • Historical settlement patterns
  • Individuals & other potential allies
    • Local heroes
    • Power brokers
    • Community leaders, activists
    • Tradition bearers
    • Regenerative/resilience/adaptation/conservation professionals
    • Creative workers: artists, writers, musicians
Datasets:
  • Resident demographics
  • Resident attitudes/attributes/values, particularly regarding environmental issues
  • Population density
  • Workforce characteristics
  • Quality of Life indicators

Institutions

Paid groups of people that generally are professionals who are structurally organized are called institutions. They include government agencies and private business, as well as schools, etc. They can all be valuable resources. The assets of these institutions help the community capture valuable resources and establish a sense of civic responsibility.*
  • Nonprofit institutions
    • Locally-focussed foundations
    • Hunting/fishing groups
    • Nature/conservation groups
    • Museums/galleries
    • Research institutions
  • Education
    • Higher educational institutions
      • Eg: Chico Regenerative Agriculture, UC Davis
      • Who studies and models various parts of the bioregion?
    • K-12
  • Government
    • Municipal, county, regional
    • State government & agencies
    • Federal government agencies
    • City Councils
    • Resource Conservation Districts, Open Space Districts, Parks Districts
    • Water Boards
  • Private business
    • Businesses
    • Business associations / chambers of commerce
  • Facilities:
    • Hospitals
    • Public safety structures
    • Waste disposal plants
    • ???
  • Datasets:
    • Economic activities & industries

Associations

Small informal groups of people, such as clubs, working with a common interest as volunteers are called associations in ABCD, and are critical to community mobilization. They don’t control anything; they are just coming together around a common interest by their individual choice.*
  • Citizen associations (social & cultural organizations/networks)
    • Community centers
    • Community Gardens
    • Climate & sustainability groups/clubs
      • Citizen science / participatory science groups
      • Cool Blocks / Resilient Neighborhoods / Climate Resilient Communities / Climate Collaboratives / Climate Action Coalitions
      • Master Gardeners
    • Democracy clubs
    • Neighborhood Associations
    • Historic/Arts council groups
    • Councils for cultural affairs
    • Faith-based organizations

Place-Based Assets

Land, buildings, heritage, public and green spaces are all examples of assets for the community. Every place where people choose to be was chosen for good reasons, and whilst people remain those reasons remain. A place might be a centre of natural resources, a hub of activity, living skills, transit connection or marketplace. Whatever the strengths of a place are, the people of the community will be the closest to understanding it.*
  • Community Centers
  • Community Gardens
  • Gathering places
  • Parks and playgrounds
  • Green infrastructure

Connections & Culture

Asset Based Community Development recognises that the exchange between people sharing their gifts and assets creates connections, and these connections are a vital asset to the community. People whose gift is to find and create these connections are called connectors. It takes time to find out about individuals; this is normally done through building relationships, person by person. The social relationships, networks and trust form the social capital of a community. ABCD recognises the value of these assets, and is a practical application of building relationships to increase social capital.*
  • Connectors - who facilitates exchange between people?
  • Recurring events
    • Fairs and festivals
    • Parades
    • Public holidays
  • History and traditions
    • Memorable events
    • Cultural traditions
    • Historic building sites
  • “Favorite Places” / “Problem Spaces”

Plans/Policies, Programs/Projects, Services

  • Related Plans
    • Climate action/adaptation
    • Community resilience
    • Transportation
    • Economic development
    • ???
  • Programs and Projects:
    • Ecological restoration
    • Regenerative projects
    • Fire management / forest health
    • Hydrological restoration
    • Urban development patterns
  • Emergency services
    • Food banks
    • Public safety services
    • Fire safety services
    • Disaster response services
  • Environmental programs/services
    • Recreation programs
    • Recycling / waste management programs
    • Material feedstock sources (e.g., woodchips, manure, etc.)
    • Composting facilities

Risks & Liabilities

As we gather information and learn about our bioregion, we should also be listening for current and future risks and liabilities.
Community Risk Assessments are common in the field of emergency preparedness, but we can extrapolate this approach to a broader, more holistic view of the threats facing the health of human and more-than-human life in our bioregion.
One helpful framework when talking to residents is asking about “favorite spaces” and “problem spaces.”
*Definitions of some categories taken from Nuture Development.

Databases

We’ve started to collect data in the following databases as a way to learn and develop an asset mapping taxonomy. This is a working prototype, so feel free to peruse and your feedback is welcome.