An Innovative Approach to Promote Vibrant and Diverse Neighborhoods in Chicago

by Justin Massa, MoveSmart.org  & Madeline Troche Rodriguez, Harry S Truman College

research background• Krysan’s Chicago Area Study and “Racial Blind Spots”

research

- discrimination, economics, or individual behavior?

• Turner & Briggs’ MTO/MTW analysis

- challenges and opportunities mismatch

• Chicagoland housing counselor survey results (MCIC)

• successes of One Economy’s Beehive, Illinois Legal Aid Online, Center for Access to Justice & Technology

• 40th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement, unchanged segregation

• demise of Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities

• information/data challenges in CHAC’s EHOP

• emerging web 2.0 map technologies

• housing search moves online, craigslist lawsuit

background / context

site features and functions• Guides (live)

• Neighborhood Finder (8/15/09)

‣ Dig Deeper (9/21/09)

• “My new neighborhood is...” Stories (11/09)

• Neighborhood Connections (1/10)

• Housing Counselor Tools (3/10)

bilingual (Spanish) + W3C/WCAG 2.0 compliant(3/10, pending funding)

neighborhood finder data• Amenities:

- grocery stores, libraries, public transit access, car sharing, schools, daycare centers, parks, farmers markets, health centers, etc.

• Quality of Life: - crime index, air quality / incidence of asthma,

incidence of lead poisoning, WalkScore, food deserts, diverse community, etc.

• Opportunities: - affordable housing choices, community gardens,

after school programs, social services, NPO-created google maps, etc.

‣ note: some data is searchable, all is mappable

my new neighborhood is...

• stories of integrative moves and their impact in response to a prompt

• written by registered users and edited by MoveSmart.org staff and volunteers

• rich media - videos, pictures, text, and a map

• displayed throughout the site

neighborhood connections• goal: rebuild social

capital and put down roots

• internal database of neighborhood-based organizations

• pull data from wide variety of websites

• one-click submission to neighborhood orgs + printable directory

housing counselor & organization tools

• add, edit, and tag Guides and neighborhood organizations

• branded, printable Guides and search results

• upload additional data sets, view and alter search matrix factors, granular permission controls

evaluationSite Analyticsregistered users count, time on site, bounce rate, completed searches

User Neighborhood Opinionspre-results neighborhood quiz matched to saved favorites, evaluate if changed attitudes

Successful Integrative Movespost-move users return to site, confirm new location for comparison to starting neighborhood

why MoveSmart.org?

★ research-based approach

★ overcomes barriers of time and web savviness by aggregating data in an intuitive interface

★ counters ignorance and prejudice with contextual info that builds social capital

why MoveSmart.org

★ open source = affordable, license-free, volunteer-ready innovation springboard

★ peer-vetted: NetSquared finalist, KnightPulse, ReadWriteWeb, Change.org, fair housing community

technology for residential integration

100 N LaSalle StSuite 600

Chicago, IL 60605info@movesmart.orgphone: 312.436.1482