Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging 5-Year Roadmap

The City's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging 5-Year Roadmap is a plan adopted by the City Council that sets forth many objectives for the City to achieve over the coming years to further its DEIB goals.

The use of the term “roadmap” for this document is intentional. As stated in Objective 1.5, “[e]mbarking on a commitment to an enterprise-wide culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is a journey.” This Roadmap can be seen as a “map of the territory” for where the City will travel as it embarks on an intentional and focused path of DEIB work.

This Roadmap sets forth many objectives for the City to achieve over the coming years. Each objective can be thought of as a milestone on the City’s DEIB journey. Many of the objectives influence all departments across the organization, while other objectives are narrowly focused on particular programs, processes, or practices. By design, the Roadmap does not define the exact path the City will travel to arrive at the objective. DEIB work is rarely technical, with clear answers and steps to success. Often, meaningful DEIB work challenges assumptions, calls for new ways of thinking, and relies on collaboration for lasting change. This Roadmap articulates an intentional map for deep and thorough change. It defines a robust work program that will manifest over several years and will help shape Kirkland’s future. Although expansive, this journey of what feels like a thousand miles – like all such journeys – begins with a single step.

What's in the Roadmap?

Check out our At-A-Glance overview(PDF, 182KB) (En español(PDF, 173KB)).


Council Milestones on the Roadmap

July 5, 2022 - Council adopts the DEIB 5-Year Roadmap(PDF, 925KB)

April 4, 2023 - Update to Council on the Roadmap(PDF, 731KB)

September 19, 2023 - Update to Council on the Roadmap(PDF, 7MB)

October 15, 2024 - Update to Council on the Roadmap (link forthcoming)

Kirkland Participation in Other DEIB Efforts

Objective 3.1 directed staff to continue to contribute to regional events and conferences to develop shared analysis, learning, and planning with governments and community groups within the Northwest region.  The DEIS Manager is an active member/participant of regional and national DEIS related groups including:

  • Governing for Racial Equity and Inclusion Group (GREI)
  • Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition
  • DEI Eastside Regional Coalition
  • Welcoming America Language Access
  • Municipal Language Access Network
  • Eastside Pathways Racial Equity Council
  • Association of Washington Cities (AWC)
  • Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE).

Similarly, Objective 3.2 directed the City to support national racial justice initiatives within government through participation in events, peer exchanges, and best practice resource-sharing with public and private organizations.  The DEIS Manager is an active member or participant of national DEIS related groups including:

  • Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE)
  • Governing for Racial Equity and Inclusion Group (GREI)
  • Welcoming America Language Access
  • Municipal Language Access Network
  • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
  • Anti-Defamation League (AOL).