2000115-Strengthening-Communities-with-Neighborhood-Data

128 Strengthening Communities with Neighborhood Data
data to other resources. The best example of this is geocoding: Much
government data are logically tied to a place (e.g., bridge, property, fire
hydrant), and that location is all important for analysis. Does Wisconsin
have more deteriorating bridges than Illinois? A geocode stamped on
each bridge record would make it easy to answer that question. Nongeographic
linking elements might include the license or serial number
for physical assets like vehicles and computers. (Social security numbers
are the ultimate linking elements, a fact that emphatically demonstrates
the limits of open data from government sources—linking disparate
data sources is good, except when it’s bad. When privacy is at stake, linking
informational elements is very, very bad.)
Invest in Technology
Simplify Data Processing Tools
Huge progress has already been made in simplifying data-processing
tools, but still the conversion of raw data to finished data product is
beyond the capacity of almost everyone. Google Maps notwithstanding,
most data visualization software is still too complex to be useful. The
good news is that many large and small software firms have a strong
incentive to continue simplifying their tools. Capturing market share is
not the only motivator here—open source communities and hobbyists
are as eager as the bigger players to innovate in this process.
Make Simple Data Collection Tools Available
Disseminating simple tools for informal data collection would help intermediaries
to build data resources that are otherwise not available. Examples
would be surveys of local residents, curbside surveys of physical conditions
in the community, inventories of local employers, and green-space mapping.
Although some tools are already available for this kind of data collection,
they are not well-known or understood. Because such tools are most
effective when customized for local conditions, the need for them is less
likely to be satisfied by generic one-size-fits-all software solutions.
Share Code Broadly and Simply
Code sharing has in the past decade become widespread, especially since
the emergence of GitHub as a near-universal code repository. This trend
should not be underestimated as a force in nurturing innovation among