The University of Utah’s Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity has joined forces with the U West Valley initiative to explore opportunities for bolstering socioeconomic development in Salt Lake County’s west side. The collaboration is being established to address socioeconomic disparities and foster prosperity.
To get a better understanding of the socioeconomic landscape and the needs of the west side communities, the Center, in conjunction with Prosperity U students, organized and hosted an inaugural community listening and collaboration session on April 1. This session provided a platform for stakeholders from metropolitan Salt Lake’s west side communities to directly articulate their pressing challenges and explore initial ideas for strategically addressing them.
A variety of west side stakeholders were represented at the meeting, with backgrounds in city planning, education, social work, health, government, and leadership.
During the session, Professor Stephen Alder, Executive Director of the Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity, underscored the Center’s commitment to working with local businesses and organizations to uplift the quality of life for all west side community members.
Through collaborative dialogue, a comprehensive overview of key components essential for the well-being and prosperity of west side communities was developed.
Students involved in Prosperity U have embarked on research and analysis to identify potential leverage points for effective positive change, which will lead to proposed actionable steps. They will fine-tune these next steps with community partners over the next few months.
To learn more about the Utah Health West Valley Project, click here.
If you are a student who would like to get involved in the Prosperity U Experience, email prosperity@utah.edu.