Conversation Circles

What are Conversation Circles?

The Conversation Circles Project, formerly called Listening Circles, aims to increase the understanding of environmental issues that affect residents’ communities and involve community leaders and local representatives in decision-making processes at local and county levels. It seeks to give communities access to environmental and other data and how to use and interpret it for making decisions about change and community improvement.

We will conduct outreach in targeted areas within the initial cities of Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City where there are high levels of environmental pollution identified. We will learn what tools and resources communities need to support decision-making for community-led solutions. Part of that effort includes a short survey for those who live in the selected neighborhoods.

At the end of the 12-month process, we will have a comprehensive Neighborhoods Impact Assessment & Action Plan that includes identified challenges and needs, and community-proposed and supported green infrastructure projects to address them.

Identifying Participating Neighborhoods

The program has selected 10 neighborhoods identified by environmental and socioeconomic data within Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City. The map below shows the identified neighborhoods. You can click on each neighborhood to see the data for that community.

Zoom in and select a neighborhood on the map to get important environmental and socioeconomic information.

Building New Analysis

A key part of identifying the Conversation Circle communities involves looking at the available data on disadvantaged communities, but also looking beyond the existing data.

Communities in our identified cities grapple with air pollution, drinking water contamination and exposure to pesticides. Many sit close to solid waste sites and facilities. These communities face the socioeconomic challenges of comparatively high rates of poverty and unemployment.

If you live in one of the selected neighborhoods, please take this short survey to share about your community.