Introducing mySidewalk’s Template Library
When we started building mySidewalk our focus was two-fold: 1) become a rich and reliable resource for public datasets apportioned to a variety of geographies, and 2) develop software to make all that data easy to access, analyze, and share. But then we realized something.
Many of mySidewalk’s users — urban planners in the tiniest Midwestern towns to principals at global architecture firms — don’t lack data. To be sure, many do, and many more lack direct access to tools that let them easily manipulate and visualize it. But a good number are swimming (or, more often drowning) in data by the time they come to us, and what they lack is a simple, time-conscious way to make sense of it all.
So, we built templates.
More precisely (because the ability to create custom templates has always been a feature in mySidewalk), we built the Template Library — a curated collection of reusable maps that can be applied to any location to deliver data-driven insights. In addition to a data-enriched map, each template includes charts, layers, and/or filters aligned to a theme.
Dozens of conversations with our users, as well as our team’s real-world experience, helped us identify the themes, or insights, that are commonly useful, even essential, to any project or popular projects, like HUD grant applications, housing affordability studies, transportation plans, emergency response plans, and economic development plans.
These templates can be used as shortcuts or starting points. Shortcuts, when our users need to apply the same datasets to different locations for various projects. Starting points when they want to see how others are using data to solve problems, and then customize the map to fit their needs.
Let’s look at an example.
Location Affordability for Median Income Residents
The index in this template combines the percent of a resident’s income spent on housing and transit. Often, transportation costs are overlooked when analyzing a location’s affordability. By applying this template to different locations, our users can see the profound impact of commute distance and employment on affordability. They also can see that many of the country’s more expensive housing markets are balanced by more affordable transit options. A median income person will spend more of their earnings on housing and transportation in Kansas City than in NYC or DC.
Location #1: Chicago, IL
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median income person: 49.66%
Location #2: Washington, DC
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median income person: 43.1%
Location #3: Kansas City, MO
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median income person: 50.92%
Location #4: Indianapolis, IN
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median income person: 51.21%
Location #5: New York, NY
Percent of income spent on housing and transportation by a median income person: 49.99%
Other templates in our first release of 18 include:
- Vulnerable Populations — Geographies where persons 65 years or older and persons with disabilities make up 15 percent or more of the total population, which helps emergency managers design response plans that account for areas of critical need.
- City Council Employment Overview — The number of jobs, income, and type of employment broken out by city council districts. (Available where mySidewalk has apportioned data to city council districts.)
- Bus Transit Supporting Density — Population densities and commute- type information about residents, filtering out what some research shows as the minimum density to financially justify fixed-rail transit (7 dwelling units/acre).
- Housing Turnover — High densities of people over 65 and owner-occupied housing, because as Baby Boomers leave their homes over the next decade, these areas are most likely to experience much higher levels of homes being put on the market.
- Working Poor — Concentrations of adults who work full-time but whose income doesn’t exceed the poverty level.
- Educational Attainment and School Proficiency — An education profile that includes the percentage of persons with a college degree, the proficiency of schools within the area, and the breakdown of educational attainment within the population.
These and more are available now in mySidewalk.
Not a mySidewalk user? We’re happy to provide, in an interactive dashboard, a free template that you can apply to any location. Make your request here.
Yes, templates save time, but the best part is that they let us learn from and build on each other’s use of data to make decisions and solve problems. It’s this network effect that we look forward to focusing on in 2016. Templates are just the start. If you’re interested in getting involved by sharing how you use data in your work, let us know!
About the Author: Jennifer Funk is a Product & Customer Specialist at mySidewalk. Her interests include curating templates and collecting eclectic coffee mugs.
