A lack of essential services can have a significant impact on the daily lives of residents. The three Indicators in this Topic measure three different types of essential services: plumbing facilities, energy (i.e., electricity, gas), and high-speed Internet. Plumbing facilities are necessary for the basic functions of a home, energy costs should not place too large a burden on households and families, and high-speed Internet has become a crucial component of work, school, and social life.

Physical and mental health encompasses a wide range of health outcomes and can be measured in many different ways. The Indicators in this Topic were chosen to reflect important public health issues that are not captured in other Topics in the Public Health Theme. The first two Indicators measure visits to the emergency department for severe mental illness and for substance abuse. The third Indicator measures new HIV diagnoses in Alameda County. In all three of these Indicators, the greatest disparities are between African American and Asian Oaklanders.

Voter turnout is measured by the percent of registered voters that voted in the 2016 general election. This Indicator measures geographic disparities by City Council District. For a map of the City Council Districts, see here: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/image/oak044524.pdf.

The Built Environment Topic includes three Indicators that measure the safety, resilience, and quality of Oakland neighborhoods. All three of these Indicators measure geographic disparities based on the majority race/ethnicity of census tracts. The first Indicator in this Topic measures disparities in the location of streets where there have been a high number of pedestrian injuries. The second Indicator measures disparities in the location of soft story buildings, which are prone to collapse in the event of an earthquake. The third Indicator measures disparities in the location of residential addresses that have been vacant for two years or more.

A safe, clean, and healthy environment is a key component of neighborhood quality. The three Indicators in this Topic explored different attributes of neighborhoods that have an impact on resident health. The first Indicator compared park quality in Council District 1 and Council District 7. The second Indicator compared the rates of service request for illegal dumping in majority Latino and majority White census tracts. The third Indicator compared the pollution burden score in majority Asian and majority White census tracts.

The three Indicators in the Transportation and Infrastructure Topic measure the different ways Oaklanders travel in the city. The first Indicator measures racial and ethnic disparities in car access, which is important due to the heavy reliance on cars for commuting to work, school, and other places. The second Indicator measures the frequency of buses along each segment of the network and compares majority non-White/mixed and majority African American census tracts. The third Indicator is a citywide measurement of curb ramps that are accessible to individuals with limited mobility, including seniors and those with physical disabilities.

Homelessness is measured by number of homeless individuals per 100,000 individuals in the general population. Homelessness data was available by race and ethnicity, separately. Both sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals are captured in the homelessness counts, to provide a fuller picture of the homeless population.

The Access to Preventive Care Topic includes two Indicators that measure preventable hospitalizations related to acute and chronic disease, and one that measures health insurance. Non-White Oaklanders are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented by having better access to preventive care. They are also more likely to be uninsured, which is a major deterrent to accessing preventive health services. Poverty and immigration status may make it even more likely for racial and ethnic minorities to lack insurance and forego needed care.

This Indicator measures the percent of streets that are in the High Injury Network for pedestrians over the five year period 2012-2016. This subset of the High Injury Network includes streets with the highest concentration of severe and fatal pedestrian injuries. The Indicator takes into account the length of each street segment in both the High Injury Network and the overall street network.

This Indicator measures overall ratings for Oakland parks and compares average scores by City Council District. The overall ratings were based on an annual survey that assigned parks letter grades (A through F), which corresponded to scores (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1 and F=0). In addition to Council District scores, the scores for parks surrounding Lake Merritt were reported as an average Lakeside score. The survey also included questions about greenery, amenities, recreation areas, and homeless encampments. For a map of the City Council Districts, see here: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/image/oak044524.pdf.