Community Asset Mapping
By Dr. Stephanie Rosado, Senior Research, Evaluation and Learning Associate
On February 26th, 2025, the Foundation hosted a data walk, an innovative engagement strategy designed to share the research findings from our recent The South St. Pete Health Equity Profile with local community members. This interactive event featured five distinct data stations, each allowing community members to immerse themselves in, question, learn from, and deliberate on various qualitative and quantitative data presented in the report.
One of these five stations was a community asset mapping activity, which replicated a methodological technique employed in the original study. During the activity, participants explored detailed maps of the South St. Petersburg area, identifying community assets, resources, challenges, and more with color-coded stickers (green for community assets, blue for resources, red for issues, yellow for personally significant community aspects, and additional pens/markers and sticky notes to illustrate connections between their observations). Through the process, they engaged not only with their own understandings of their community, but with each other.
What began as a moment of quiet reflection, as data walk attendees familiarized themselves with the maps and pinpointed their locations, soon exploded into vibrant discussions. Conversations focused on drawing connections and identifying overlapping themes related to the equity issues highlighted in the earlier presentation of the report’s findings. Participants worked together to remind each other of pivotal community assets and raised awareness about pressing issues like lack of access to fresh or healthy foods and dangerous areas for pedestrians due to the lack of sidewalks near the Thurgood Marshall Corridor-Twin Brooks Golf Course area, for example.
Participants also expressed pride in various aspects of their city, aligning well with the original study’s strengths-based approach. Yellow stickers highlighted green spaces and the extensive trail system that connects different areas of the city, revealing shared community value for the area’s natural resources and feeling connected. Blue stickers noted resources such as the James B. Sanderlin Community Center in the Lakeview Avenue South area, local health programs for the uninsured, the St. Pete Free Clinic, and healthy aging initiatives like Seniors in Service near the Old Jamestown/Methodist town area.
In the activity, blue stickers highlight the knowledge and awareness community members have about local resources. In the original study’s mapping activity, which involved a limited number of residents from South St. Pete, participants were less aware of resources available beyond their own neighborhoods (see Figure 2). In contrast, the data walk, which included a larger group of non-profit professionals, revealed a broader range of resources and assets. Yet, there were fewer blue “resource” stickers in total during this session. The differences between the two mapping sessions highlight varying levels of awareness among specific community groups and point to the potential for collaboration to enhance knowledge sharing.
Call to Action! What You Can Do!
Whether you experienced the data walk firsthand or are just learning about our South St. Pete Health Equity Profile, we invite you to take an active role in fostering equity in our community. Let’s kickstart a dialogue!
Take a look at the two maps shared in this post (data walk map at top of page, map from focus group participants above). Do you notice any other differences or similarities? What would you add?
Think about the resources and assets you see in your neighborhood. What issues do they tackle? How can individuals or local organizations work together to amplify their impact?
Share your insights on social media using the hashtag #StPeteEquityProfile. We want to hear from you!
Your voice is crucial in shaping our community’s future. As we saw through this mapping activity, we can identify more solutions when we work together. Turn your reflections into powerful actions by sharing them with others!