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. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities2 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

3. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities3 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

4. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities4 Study Methodology  Opportunity sample  Information about organizations providing statistics obtained from the internet  Sample varies by… Geographic location Population size Organization type

5. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities5 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

6. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities6 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

7. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities7 Geographic Placement of Organizations

8. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities8 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

9. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities9 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

10. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities10 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

11. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities11 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

12. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities12 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

13. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities13 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

14. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities14 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

15. 10/20/2008 Beijing, China Development & Usage of Metropolitan Statistical Data in Selected U.S. Cities15 The End