The following are definitions and descriptions for terms and phrases that are commonly used or foundational to the Upward Mobility Initiative.

equity

equity is both an outcome and a process. As an outcome, equity is achieved when people’s characteristics (e.g., race and ethnicity, disability, sexual and gender identities, place of birth, or immigration status) do not determine their outcomes.

As a process, equity is when systems, such as local governments and nonprofit organizations, make procedural, distributional, and structural changes to address fundamental aspects that maintain unfair advantages for one group at the expense of others. See the term “racial equity” for more information. 

local leaders

local leaders refer to those from local government, nonprofits, businesses, and the community.  

mobility action plans and planning

mobility action plans are the various documents that describe the goals, strategies, and target outcomes for increasing mobility from poverty in the cities and counties that were part of the Upward Mobility Cohort. See the term “Upward Mobility Cohort” for more information.

Mobility action planning is a process in which communities apply the Upward Mobility Framework to their local contexts and identify goals, strategies, and outcomes related to increasing upward mobility.

Mobility Metrics

Mobility Metrics are ways to measure the predictors in the Upward Mobility Framework over the medium term. There are currently 26 metrics to measure the 24 predictors. For example, the “household income at the 20th, 50th, and 80th percentiles” metric is one way to measure the opportunities for income predictor.   

Mobility Metrics data are available for every county and more than 450 cities across the US. Communities can use the data to assess their current conditions for upward mobility, highlight interconnected needs and solutions across policy domains, prioritize policies and practices, and monitor progress toward achieving upward mobility and racial equity.

pillars

the pillars are five key areas of support people need from their communities to achieve upward mobility. The following are the five pillars in the Upward Mobility Framework:  

• rewarding work  
• high-quality education  
• opportunity-rich and inclusive neighborhoods 
• healthy environment and access to good health care 
• responsive and just governance

These pillars are the overarching groups under which the predictors are organized. 

Planning Guide for Local Action

the planning guide is a resource that shows how communities can apply the Upward Mobility Framework and Mobility Metrics to assess and change conditions that improve upward mobility and racial equity for people and communities.

predictors

the predictors are evidence-based factors that are strongly associated with long-term upward mobility (economic success, dignity and belonging, and power and autonomy). There are 24 predictors in the Upward Mobility Framework, including housing stability, racial diversity, effective public education, employment opportunities, access to health services, and political participation.

racial equity

many of the barriers that block people’s economic success, power, and dignity result from longstanding—and ongoing—racism that is built into policies, processes, institutions, and culture. Supporting people’s and communities’ upward mobility requires confronting and eliminating racial inequities.

For that reason, racial equity acts as the thread that connects the framework’s components, from the predictors of mobility and how they are measured to the desired outcome of equitable upward mobility. Local leaders applying the framework must embed racial equity in both their processes and their outcomes to ensure they serve those who have been most harmed.

Read more about racial equity’s role in the Upward Mobility Framework.

three-part definition

the Upward Mobility Framework defines upward mobility as having three interconnected dimensions: economic success, power and autonomy, and dignity and belonging. People need all three parts to achieve mobility. The definition is based on the US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty’s argument that upward mobility requires more than just achieving economic success.

training and technical assistance

Urban provides training and technical assistance to help communities and organizations develop new knowledge and skills and access practical tools for advancing upward mobility, including the Upward Mobility Framework.

upward mobility

people achieve upward mobility when they have the following: 

• Economic success: people have adequate income and assets to support their and their family’s material well-being. 
• Power and autonomy: people have control over their lives, ability to make choices, and means to influence larger policies and actions that affect their future. 
• Dignity and belonging: people feel the respect that comes from contributing to their family, work, and community and are valued for those contributions.

Upward Mobility Cohort

the set of eight counties and cities that partnered with Urban from 2021 to 2022 to deploy and test the Upward Mobility Framework in their communities and develop their local mobility action plans.

Upward Mobility Data Dashboard

the dashboard is an interactive tool that allows users to explore conditions for upward mobility in counties and cities across the US using Mobility Metrics data.

Upward Mobility Framework

the framework is an evidence-based foundation for efforts to advance upward mobility and racial equity for people and communities. It offers local leaders a holistic definition of upward mobility and identifies factors associated with long-term upward mobility, which they can influence to increase mobility for all people, especially those historically excluded from prosperity.  

The framework includes a three-part definition of economic and social mobility, a focus on racial equity, five pillars of support people need from their communities to achieve mobility, and 24 predictors that measure the strength of those pillars and that can be influenced to help more residents reach long-term prosperity.

Upward Mobility Initiative

the Upward Mobility Initiative refers to the entire umbrella project, including the Upward Mobility Framework, related data and planning tools, training and technical assistance, and other resources.  

The initiative provides these resources to help local leaders assess and improve conditions that lead to economic success, power and autonomy, and dignity and belonging for people and communities.