CHALLENGE
Perform a community analysis study using public and commercial data
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBKA), an Obama Foundation initiative, desired to obtain a detailed understanding of the population that resided near the planned Obama Presidential Center. Specifically, three core communities located in Chicago, Illinois, are of interest. These communities include Washington Park, Woodlawn, and South Shore, as well as the combined area (Study Area).
SOLUTION
The Community Analysis Study with an Online Data Hub
In order to analyze the Study Area and its communities, a wide range of data was acquired and examined. The overwhelming amount of data came from three general sources: the U.S. Census Bureau (Census Bureau), ESRI Enrichment Services Datasets, and L2 commercial consumer and voter data. The types of Census Bureau data that were analyzed included the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year data and 2020 Census PL94-171 Data (i.e., Redistricting Data). The ESRI data covered a wide range of attributes from crime, spending, lifestyle, etc. L2 commercial data included 2022 consumer data and registered voter data at the individual level. In addition, Census geographic boundary data were acquired from the Census Bureau that matched the attribute data sets (e.g., block, census tract, census place [city], and state).
The resultant geographic data files were converted to ESRI map layers and integrated into map applications. The map applications were accessible via an ESRI Data Hub designed for the study area.
RESULTS
Analysis Performed
The results of the analysis were divided into profiles of the Study Area and Communities using aggregate and individual data. Printed maps and data tables were included in a final analysis report providing an overview of the attributes of the entire Study Area or the communities. Finally, the analysis results were also presented within an online mapping data hub. The data hub provided interactive access to more demographic and socioeconomic detail of the study area data.