This project addressed two concerns of the City of Seaside: the need for a visual representation of Seaside’s demographics and representation within government, and a question about why the Hispanic and Latino population are not more involved at city meetings. These goals are important in informing the city’s 2040 general plan: seeing and understanding the dynamics and interests of the Latino community is vital to envisioning the city’s future as a whole. Demographic analysis compared U.S. Census data on race and ethnicity for the City of Seaside with Seaside city government employment demographics. This capstone group also conducted outreach at two Mexican grocery stores in Seaside using City as Play and open-ended interviews. Results of the demographic analysis show that the Latino population has grown by 38% over the past 15 years, now composing 44% of the total population while 2.43% of Latino city government employees are in positions that can influence decision-making in the city. Outreach to the Latino community found that this population wants to see more art, parks, community events, and general upkeep and cleanliness in the city. Latino community members said they were interested in speaking with city employees via similar methods used in this capstone, and that radio and flyers at Mexican groceries were good ways to communicate simple messages with them.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
Sustainable City Years Program Contact Info
University Faculty Contact
Tori Derr
Natural Sciences
Assistant Professor
vderr@csumb.edu
Local Government / Community Contact
Gloria Stearns
Economic Development
Economic Development Program Manager
gstearns@ci.seaside.ca.us
831-899-6830