Incorporating Environmental Justice and Equity Principles: A Toolkit for Airports (2024)
Chapter: 4 Case Studies Overview
CHAPTER 4
Case Studies Overview
INSIGHT WARM-UP
Key Themes and Content
This chapter summarizes ten case studies that involve airport owners and operators across the United States. The case studies address how equity and environmental justice can manifest in decision-making in different airport organizational units, such as executive leadership, internal affairs, external affairs, airport operations, and environmental affairs.
Reference Materials
Table 4-1 provides a high-level overview of the case studies and their connection to the modules in Chapter 3 of this report. Each case study contains its own reference list of reports, interviews, and other materials compiled to complete the case study narrative. These can be referenced by the reader for additional context.
Self-Assess
What organizational unit(s) are you most familiar with at an airport? Do you have any first-person experiences with addressing equity or environmental justice considerations within that organizational unit? Have you heard of success stories or challenges that arose at other airports? How would you describe the factors that contribute to the successful and meaningful incorporation of equity and environmental justice in decision-making?
LEARNING GOALS
Chapter 4 provides case studies that demonstrate the incorporation of equity and environmental justice principles, considerations, and/or data into decision-making processes. Readers will gain insights from real and recent examples that involve airport owners and operators.
The research team identified case studies that demonstrate the incorporation of equity and environmental justice principles, considerations, or data into decision-making processes. This chapter contains an overview of ten case studies to illustrate examples of equity-oriented airport decision-making. The case studies in their entirety are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationacademies.org) by searching for ACRP Research Report 265.
The team selected case studies with the intention of curating a diverse representation of examples across a few criteria.
- Airport functional units: Leadership, internal, external, operations, environment.
- Airport size: Large primary commercial service airports, nonhub airports.
- Impacted people: Airport workforce, airport passengers, airport-adjacent neighborhood community members.
- FAA Region: Northwest Mountain, Great Lakes, Western-Pacific, Eastern.
- Geographic environment: Rural, urban, suburban.
The case studies are presented in pairs, where each pair exemplifies a specific airport functional unit. Airport functional units are responsible for different elements of airport decision-making. Though the exact arrangement of functional units varies across airports, the five general functional units identified in this report are intended to distill a broad range of offices and departments into some common categories. For clarity, in each complete case study, the functional unit is introduced with an overview of its organizational unit context: “Roles and Responsibilities,” “Stakeholders,” and “Connections to Equity Principles/EJ Data.”
The individual airport case studies follow a similar writing structure. Each “Airport Organization” section provides context for the airport’s decision-making and governance structures, with information about the impetus for airport owners and operators to pursue the work discussed in the case study. The “Summary of Case Study” section describes the key events, timelines, and outcomes of the case study; “Equity Context” provides greater detail and nuance to the connections to equity; and the “Key Takeaways” section summarizes the lessons, insights, and advice that can be gleaned from the case and applied to other airports.
A brief synopsis of the case studies is provided below, and their relation to the modules in Chapter 3 is provided in Table 4-1.
4.1 Leadership Case Studies
Establishing a Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation
Denver International Airport
Denver, Colorado
This case study documents how airport leadership developed the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA), which is dedicated to hosting programs that improve equitable outcomes. While not at a final stage of implementation, this case study shows the progression from good intentions to a public commitment with committed resources and financial investment. This case draws from in-depth interviews with CEEA leadership to learn more about their internal planning and decision-making.
Social Equity Policy and Planning at the Port of Portland
Portland International Airport
Portland, Oregon
At the Commission leadership level, a commitment to social equity and shared prosperity has enabled the Port of Portland to improve outcomes for racialized and underrepresented people
in the Portland, Oregon, region. This case study documents the forces driving decision-making processes and how the Port’s shared prosperity mission and brand have evolved and permeated throughout the Port.
4.2 Internal Case Studies
Participatory Budgeting
Port of Seattle/Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Seattle, Washington
The Port of Seattle’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) worked with the Port’s Commission and Executive Leadership Team to develop a framework for budgeting with an equity lens. The Port of Seattle’s Equity in Budgeting Playbook includes questions to help Port departments analyze if their budget requests will benefit or cause harm to certain communities. The Playbook also includes questions that help Port departments analyze how they can engage with the community when developing their budgets.
Minimum Wage Increase for Airport Workers
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
New York, New York, and Newark, New Jersey
This case study focuses on the minimum wage policy for airport workers that was enacted in 2018 by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Board of Commissioners. Resolving gender, racial, and ethnic disparities in income is a persistent challenge in the American workforce. Elevating minimum wage standards from poverty wages to living wages is especially salient in improving social equity for Black, Latinx, and immigrant workers who disproportionately occupy hourly, minimum-wage labor positions.
4.3 External Case Studies
Racial Equity Through the Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
San Francisco, California
SFO initiated a Racial Equity Action Plan as a result of a citywide commitment to addressing the impacts of a legacy of racism and economic disparity in San Francisco as manifested through various land use and planning practices and policies over time. Specifically, Ordinance No 188-19, mandated “each City department shall develop a Racial Equity Action Plan in alignment with the [San Francisco Office of Racial Equity] Citywide Racial Equity Framework.” This case study documents how SFO took on the racial equity legislative mandate in a way that included community engagement with impacted communities.
Project Labor Agreements as a Community Engagement Outcome
Fresno Yosemite International Airport
Fresno, California
The Fresno Yosemite International Airport’s Terminal Expansion plan (FATforward) is a long-term plan developed by Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) to improve airport facilities and services, increase the airport’s capacity, and enhance the overall travel experience for passengers. The FATforward plan was developed with input from the community, including residents, businesses, and other stakeholders. The airport held a series of public meetings and workshops to gather feedback and suggestions and worked closely with local officials and
organizations. FATforward’s project labor agreements were a direct outcome of engagement with community leaders and advocacy groups to benefit the workforce.
4.4 Operations and Safety Case Studies
The Disabilities Advisory Committee
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Deliberative justice concerns the fairness of how community voices are hosted and integrated into the institution’s deliberations and processes of decision-making. This case study provides an example in which airport commission-level leadership demonstrates a commitment to deliberative justice by ensuring people with disabilities are provided space for deliberation that meaningfully impacts the design of the airport traveler experience.
Protection of Sacred Tribal Sites During Construction
Williston Basin International Airport
Williston, North Dakota
Tribal Nations must be consulted under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process. The FAA and other stakeholders consulted with 11 Great Plains Tribal Nations to identify and protect sacred sites during the construction of Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) in Williston, North Dakota. Traditional Cultural Specialists monitored the excavation of the 1,600-acre construction site to ensure the protection of any cultural resources that were identified.
4.5 Environment Case Studies
Soil Contaminant Remediation at a Port-Owned Superfund Site
Port of Seattle/Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Seattle, Washington
This case is an example of an environmental remediation project led by the Port of Seattle, which owns and operates the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and other transportation facilities. The project resulted in establishing a public access park in addition to environmental remediation. The case demonstrates the challenges, complexity, and possibilities of remediation projects that engage multiple stakeholders in a historically polluted site. This case study explores the role of ongoing stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution in producing equitable outcomes in remediation projects.
Multi-Jurisdictional Response to Drinking Water Contamination at a Nonhub Airport
Pellston Regional Airport
Emmet County, Michigan
This case is an example of multi-agency coordination to identify and respond to drinking water contamination caused by airport firefighting activity. The case study example involves the Pellston Regional Airport, a nonhub, commercial service airport with Part 139 certification serving the northernmost county of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The case demonstrates the environmental justice challenges pertaining to a class of harmful pollutants that remain largely unregulated in the United States as of 2023. This case study explores the role of a rural airport in a recently established state-level environmental regulatory framework.
Table 4-1. Overview of case studies and their connection to Modules 1–4.
| AIRPORT, STATE, CASE STUDY | MODULE 1: SELF-ASSESS EQUITY PRACTICE | MODULE 2: SEEK MEANINGFUL STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | MODULE 3: USE SPATIAL DATA, METHODS, AND TOOLS TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | MODULE 4: EMBED AND INSTITUTIONALIZE EQUITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Case Studies | ||||
| Denver International Airport (DEN) Colorado Establishing a Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA) |
Not applicable | CEEA leadership engaged with both internal and external stakeholders to socialize the ideas and concepts related to the CEEA. They held one-on-one meetings with internal staff to discuss CEEA and its objectives. They obtained input from stakeholders to identify shared values and help shape programming. DEN formalized internal and external engagement through “DEN Talks” where they could present updates on CEEA’s progress, share ways to get involved, and obtain feedback from stakeholders. | Not applicable | The DEN Strategic Plan has four guiding pillars, one of which is “Empowering our People.” It has four guiding principles, one of which includes “Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility.” DEN stated three explicit strategic objectives to meet this guiding pillar: “Develop Workforce Leadership Strategy,” “Establish Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation,” and “Implement Career Pathways Program.” CEEA represents DEN’s intention to build the organizational capacity to improve equitable outcomes for oppressed groups of people through reimagining programming within an airport organization. |
| Portland International Airport (PDX) Oregon Social Equity Policy and Planning at the Port of Portland |
The Port hired advisory consultants to (1) assess and compare social equity best practices in external sectors relevant to the Port and (2) assess internal workforce processes and programs. The Port also conducted an internal equity assessment and a Small Business Program Disparity Study. | Not applicable | Not applicable | In 2018, the Port Commission adopted a Social Equity Policy, and the Port began development of Departmental Equity Plans. In 2019, the Port released the Consolidated Equity Plan and began implementation and tracking. In 2021, the Port revised its mission and vision to a shared prosperity focus. In 2022, the Port created a Shared Prosperity Office led by a new Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer. |
| Internal Case Studies | ||||
| Port of Seattle Washington Participatory Budgeting |
The prompting questions in the participatory budgeting framework guided self-assessment for individual departments. | Not applicable | Not applicable | Port staff created a process that helps Port departments analyze their impact on the community when developing their budgets. |
| AIRPORT, STATE, CASE STUDY | MODULE 1: SELF-ASSESS EQUITY PRACTICE | MODULE 2: SEEK MEANINGFUL STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | MODULE 3: USE SPATIAL DATA, METHODS, AND TOOLS TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | MODULE 4: EMBED AND INSTITUTIONALIZE EQUITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Minimum Wage Increase for Airport Workers |
Not applicable | The Port hosted multiple public comment sessions, with significant input from unions, workers, employers, and politicians. | Not applicable | The development of the minimum wage policy illustrated how embedding equity can also benefit other aspects of the Port’s mission, such as security. |
| External Case Studies | ||||
| San Francisco International Airport (SFO) California Racial Equity Through the Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP) |
SFO’s racial equity analysis began with an internal engagement effort to explore internal inequities as an intuitive and essential first step to tackling airport-related inequity more broadly through community-wide engagement. A staff-led commission developed the mandated Racial Equity Plan. The project team reviewed SFO’s programs, policies, and staffing practices by evaluating 1,100 surveys and engaging employee focus groups that offered priority areas. | Not applicable | Not applicable | SFO’s REAP provides an example of an approach to strategic planning that directly acknowledges past and present harms while actively embracing racial equity as an aim. REAP is rooted in equity-based decision-making, where the goals, objectives, and strategies of the plan are informed by a deep understanding of the inequities that exist in the airport’s operations and the communities it serves. REAP showed a commitment to advancing equity and addressing systemic disparities through intentional, inclusive, and participatory practices that center the needs and voices of historically systemically divested people. |
| Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) California Project Labor Agreements as a Community Engagement Outcome |
Not applicable | The FATforward plan was developed with input from the community, including local residents, businesses, and other stakeholders. The airport worked closely with local officials and organizations to ensure that the plan was aligned with the needs and priorities of the region. FATforward’s project labor agreements were a direct outcome of engagement with community leaders and advocacy groups to benefit the workforce. | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| AIRPORT, STATE, CASE STUDY | MODULE 1: SELF-ASSESS EQUITY PRACTICE | MODULE 2: SEEK MEANINGFUL STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | MODULE 3: USE SPATIAL DATA, METHODS, AND TOOLS TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | MODULE 4: EMBED AND INSTITUTIONALIZE EQUITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations and Safety Case Studies | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Minnesota The Disabilities Advisory Committee (TDAC) |
Not applicable | The TDAC functions as an advisory committee to the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC), where TDAC offers input during facility design and during customer service enhancements. The TDAC does not have the authority to approve or reject specific MAC actions. The TDAC provides input to MAC staff on decision-making related to architecture, concessions, customer service, accessibility, planning, and design of facilities. | Not applicable | At MSP, the MAC and airport leaders created an organizational culture of inclusion through building meaningful relationships with stakeholders. Staff, tenants, and contractors at various levels of the organization support the organization’s commitment to accessibility. |
| Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) North Dakota Protection of Sacred Tribal Sites During Construction |
Not applicable | The FAA and airport sponsor coordinated with Traditional Cultural Specialists from six tribes to map and document traditional cultural properties within the property boundaries of a proposed airport expansion project. The planning team met with the tribal representatives to review avoidance and minimization options, monitoring plans, and inadvertent discovery plans. Traditional Cultural Specialists were paid to monitor and observe ground disturbance occurring on the project site. | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Environment Case Studies | ||||
| Port of Seattle Washington Soil Contaminated Remediation at a Port-Owned Superfund Site |
Not applicable | Port staff cultivated new practices of meaningful community engagement that fundamentally transformed the remediation project. | Spatial data helped Port staff understand the context of the impacted community and revise the community communication strategy accordingly. | The Port’s Commissioners passed a resolution that embedded “equitable engagement” and “environmental justice” within the expected scope of the Port’s responsibilities to the community. |
| AIRPORT, STATE, CASE STUDY | MODULE 1: SELF-ASSESS EQUITY PRACTICE | MODULE 2: SEEK MEANINGFUL STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | MODULE 3: USE SPATIAL DATA, METHODS, AND TOOLS TO ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | MODULE 4: EMBED AND INSTITUTIONALIZE EQUITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pellston Regional Airport (PLN) Michigan Multi-Jurisdictional Response to Drinking Water Contamination at a Nonhub Airport |
Not applicable | Local officials honored the youth scientists who discovered per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, then employed a mix of virtual and in-person response strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. | State health officials used the State’s browser-based environmental justice screening tool to understand the context of the impacted community and shape a public health response with the airport owner. | The State assembled multiple State agencies (including the Department of Transportation) to oversee, investigate, fund, and act on PFAS contaminant sites. |
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