Roadmap for Growth for Philadelphia 2015-2020
Posted by Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce on August 11, 2014
City, Chamber use data to target resources, growth
Philadelphia City Council and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce have announced separate plans to mine available data to target public resources and plan economic growth in the region.
City Council announced the launch of an ambitious data-driven program meant to identify neighborhoods most in need of support.
The effort will highlight the strengths and shortcomings of each of the city’s neighborhoods, so there can be a more targeted approach to remedying community problems.
The program will also be used as a tool in budgetary debates over how much attention should go to improving Philadelphia’s more distressed neighborhoods vs. maintaining the momentum of a booming Center City, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Labeled the Philadelphia Community Sustainability Initiative, the program will draw upon existing databases to enable planners to establish a quality-of-life index for every city neighborhood using seven criteria. Rankings will be provided for amenities (access to libraries and recreational centers), commerce, schools, housing demand, housing stability (foreclosure rates), prosperity (household income, homeownership, household debt ratio), and safety.
The rankings will be part of an interactive map that would allow a user to home in on a particular neighborhood with the click of a mouse.
City Council has contracted The Reinvestment Fund and Econsult Solutions to produce the program and interactive map.
The day after Council announced its plan, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce announced its own ambitious data-driven program to guide economic growth in the region. Its Roadmap for Growth for Philadelphia 2015-2020 is a campaign to conduct a public dialogue and develop a growth agenda for the city that promotes job creation and economic prosperity through 2020. During the next 18 months, the Chamber, its members and partners will engage the candidates for Mayor and City Council to identify opportunities for economic growth that can be pursued in 2016 and beyond.
To view the Chamber report, go here.
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