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tal, and the website DataPlace went live the following year. Populated
with several public datasets with small-area data prepared by the Urban
Institute, the free site allowed users to explore the data through dynamic
community profiles, tables, charts, and maps. 19
In 2007, TRF created a similar national website called PolicyMap. 20
Still actively updated as of 2014, PolicyMap offers free access to indicators
at the point, tract, and Zip Code levels from many federal datasets,
as well as additional features and commercial data for subscribers. Other
systems have developed to serve different audiences. For example,
CommunityCommons.org includes most of the national datasets in
PolicyMap and similar mapping functionality, but it emphasizes using
data for health assessments and improvement initiatives.
A review of neighborhood information systems used qualitative and
quantitative data from 2006 to 2007 to investigate the success of local
information websites (Hwang and Hoffman 2009). Based on a survey
of users of neighborhood information systems from around the country,
the researchers highlighted the types of uses of the systems and the
perceptions of usefulness. The current website picture for local sites is
mixed. 21 Most of the local NNIP organizations have taken advantage of
sophisticated data visualization and distribution systems to further their
mission of democratizing data. By 2013 about half the NNIP partners
hosted websites with interactive platforms. Some partners built in-house
custom software, such as Cleveland’s Northeast Ohio Community and
Neighborhood Data for Organizing (NEO CANDO) system, which is
featured in Nelson’s essay at the end of chapter 5. Other partners chose
to adopt commercial products from firms such as Azavea and Instant
Atlas. 22 Still others have a simple descriptive website without data displays
or tools. Although limited funding may contribute to the last
choice, some organizations choose to focus their efforts on hands-on
technical assistance and sharing data with targeted audiences, such
as residents in low-income neighborhoods, who are not likely to use
complex online systems.
A growing community of developer proponents and philanthropic
efforts has fostered the open source software movement. In 2008, several
NNIP partners and other data-related organizations formed the
Open Indicators Consortium to develop open source visualization and
data analysis software, later named Weave. The University of Massachusetts,
Lowell, the consortium development lead, posted the Weave code
in 2011, and the consortium grew to 16 local organizations by 2013. 23