DEVELOPMENT AND USAGE OF METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL DATA IN SELECTED U.S. CITIES

1. DEVELOPMENT AND USAGE OF METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL DATA IN SELECTED U.S. CITIES Anna Marie Schuh Associate Professor Roosevelt University Metropolitan International Statistics Forum Beijing, China October 20, 2008

2. Study Purpose • Explore local statistical gathering and disseminating activities • In U.S. Federal system • Where there is no central control of all statistical efforts • To understand • How the efforts relate to the general public • How the efforts interface with each other • Whether any common foci exist among the institutional efforts Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

3. Census Bureau Demographic statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics Business & labor statistics State & local governments Local statistics Crime Housing Business associations Specific industry statistics Local non-profits Indices of livability U. S. Statistical Gathering System Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

4. Study Methodology • Opportunity sample • Information about organizations providing statistics obtained from the internet • Sample varies by… • Geographic location • Population size • Organization type Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

5. Organization Selection Criteria • Local coverage & affiliation • To ensure a local focus • Provide data without cost or membership requirements • This eliminated many universities from the sample • Also eliminated many business focused professional organizations Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

6. Municipal size Very large (1M or larger) – 4 Large (500,000 to 1M) – 4 Moderate (100,00--- to 500,000) – 6 Small (Under 100,000)- 1 Geographic region East – 6 Midwest – 6 South – 6 West - 3 Sponsor Non profit – 14 Government – 5 For profit - 2 Sample Characteristics Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

7. Geographic Placement of Organizations Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

8. Study Characteristics • 21 organizational websites • Variables • Size of metropolis • Geographic placement in the U.S. • Nature of the organization sponsor • Type of data gathered • Nature of the data source • Client focus Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

9. Recent effect of internet on provision of statistical data Most sites created since 2000 Organizations are responding to citizen demand Sites contain a large variety of data Most data is available to the public at large Users often get individually tailored information almost instantly General Study Results Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

10. Additional General Finding • Information is geared toward decision making citizens • Locally developed information involves livability indices • Safety • Housing affordability • Neighborhood diversity • Education quality • State of public health Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

11. Size Matters • Very large and large cities are more likely to have statistics developed in all three sectors, public, private and non profit • Very large cities focus on all types of clients • Moderate cities focus on citizens and government managers Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

12. Sponsors South and Midwest have nonprofit and government sponsors West avoid government sponsors and concentrate on non profit and profit sponsors Clients East, Midwest and West focus on public and government planners South focuses mainly on the government as the client Location Matters Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

13. Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta, GA Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, Baltimore, MD CAMConnect, Camden, NJ Child and Family Policy Center, Des Moines, IA Community Research Council, Chattanooga, TN Community Research Partners, Columbus, OH Community Resource Network, Louisville, KY Community Services Planning Council, Sacramento, CA Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, New Orleans, LA J. McDonald Williams Institute, Dallas, TX Mayor’s Office of Operations, New York, NY List of Reviewed Organizations, P1 Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

14. Metropolitan Chicago Information Center, Chicago, IL Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston, MA Michigan Metropolitan Information Center, Detroit, MI Neighborhoods Resource Center, Nashville, TN Non-profit Center of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI NYC Statistics, New York, NY The Piton Foundation, Denver, CO The Polis Center at Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN The Providence Plan, Providence, RI Urban Strategies Council, Oakland, CA List of Reviewed Organizations, P2 Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities

15. The End Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities