DEVELOPMENT AND USAGE OF METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL DATA IN SELECTED U.S. CITIES Anna Marie Schuh Associate Professor Roosevelt University Metropolitan International

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

Anna Marie SchuhAssociate Professor

Roosevelt UniversityMetropolitan International Statistics Forum

Beijing, ChinaOctober 20, 2008

10/20/2008 Beijing, China

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

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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



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U. S. Statistical Gathering System

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



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Study Methodology

Opportunity sample Information about organizations

providing statistics obtained from the internet

Sample varies by… Geographic location Population size Organization type



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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



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Sample Characteristics

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



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Geographic Placement of Organizations



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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



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General Study Results

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



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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



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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



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Location Matters

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



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List of Reviewed Organizations, P1

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



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List of Reviewed Organizations, P2

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



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The End

Documents

DEVELOPMENT AND USAGE OF METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL DATA IN SELECTED U.S. CITIES Anna Marie Schuh Associate Professor Roosevelt University Metropolitan International