Office of Equity and Belonging

The Office of Equity and Belonging is working to eliminate systemic and institutional racism from the City of Boulder’s policies, programs and practices. We strive to transform Boulder into a more inclusive, safe and welcoming environment for all who live, work and play in our community.

Boulder City Council adopted the city’s Racial Equity Plan (PDF) in 2021. The plan describes the steps the city will take to eliminate systemic and institutional racism in its policies, programs and practices. Each city department and every city employee is responsible for carrying out the Racial Equity Plan.

See the City of Boulder's 2024 Equity Report to learn how a mid-sized city is systematically embedding racial equity across government operations. This progress report tracks implementation of Boulder's 2021 Racial Equity Plan, showing how we've trained over 2,500 employees using a train-the-trainer model, established equity teams in 98% of departments and created a Community Connector model that has elevated voices of historically excluded communities across 38 projects. There are practical examples of operationalizing equity through assessment tools integrated into budget and planning processes, improving language access and community engagement, addressing procurement disparities, and working toward workforce diversity while building accountability mechanisms to measure institutional change.

• 2024 Equity Report PDF