[Durham INC] Durham Neighborhood Compass Announces Data Update

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CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

News Release


News Media Contact:
Amy Blalock
Sr. Public Affairs Specialist
(919) 560-4123 x 11253
(919) 475-7735 (cell)
Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov>
http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC
http://YouTube.com/CityofDurhamNC


For Immediate Release: March 13, 2015



Share!  Durham Neighborhood Compass launches new measures & new data; http://Compass.DurhamNC.gov


Durham Neighborhood Compass Announces Extensive Data Update
Web-Based Mapping Tool Now Includes New Neighborhoods and New Measures

DURHAM, N.C. - Residents looking for new information about their neighborhoods should check out the most recent updates to the Durham Neighborhood Compass.

The Durham Neighborhood Compass, http://Compass.DurhamNC.gov, debuted last spring as a web-based mapping tool designed to help users identify areas of need and opportunity in their neighborhoods. The Compass now features new neighborhoods, several new measures, and data updates for most existing measurements.

According to Neighborhood Compass Project Manager John Killeen with the City of Durham's Neighborhood Improvement Services Department, the Compass is intended to report measures of community conditions in as timely a manner as possible, and this data update brings the best-available information forward another year. "For many of these neighborhood measures, the Compass is the only source offering regular updates on community conditions," Killeen said. "Having access to this sort of tool provides residents with a valuable resource for learning more about their communities, their assets, and how they change. For a resident, it is a powerful tool for discovering stories, for telling those stories better, and for using data to find opportunities to get involved in community work to improve your neighborhood."


The Compass features 48 measurements of neighborhood well-being and City/County service provisions, and is compiled from local government and Census Bureau data sets. All updates are available as data downloads from the site and can be queried in the site's report functions. This most recent update impacts 37 of these Compass measurements, including measures of crime, economic activity, housing, and transportation at the neighborhood level. New measurements and data sets that were not available until now include:

*         More neighborhoods. When the Compass debuted in 2014, 155 neighborhoods were included. With this most recent update, the number of neighborhoods has increased to 189 thanks to continual community input on the Durham Hoods website.

*         Licensed child care centers. Provided for 2013 and 2014, this measure enables users to compare the presence of licensed child care centers in their neighborhood to other areas, and to see what percentage of them are four- or five-star rated.

*         Participation in primary and general elections. These measures indicate the percentage of registered voters that turned out for primary and general elections in 2012.

*         New certificates of occupancy for business/industrial locations and for residential locations. Provided for 2013 and 2014, this data reflects completed construction or improvements to properties by neighborhood.

*         Poor and unsound housing conditions. Provided for 2012 and 2013, this data reflects the proportion of dwelling units that are assessed to be in 'poor or unsound' condition, showing marked deterioration or potentially unfit for habitation.


The Compass was created through collaboration between the City's Neighborhood Improvement Services and Technology Solutions Departments with contributions from Durham County, Triangle Transit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other community partners. For more information, visit http://Compass.DurhamNC.gov or contact Killeen at (919) 560-1647, ext. 34274 or by email at John.Killeen at DurhamNC.gov<mailto:John.Killeen at DurhamNC.gov>.


About the City of Durham Neighborhood Improvement Services Department

The Neighborhood Improvement Services Department works to preserve and improve quality of life conditions for Durham residents, and to encourage active participation in neighborhood redevelopment and public policy and decision making dialogue. The department is responsible for enforcement of quality of life ordinances and state statutes including the City's Minimum Housing Code; Nonresidential Code; Weedy Lot, Abandoned & Junk Vehicle, and Fair Housing ordinances; and the State of North Carolina's Unsafe Building Statute. The department's rapid responders, known as the Impact Team, remediate non-compliant housing properties; abate public nuisances, such as litter, graffiti, illegal dumping, and abandoned shopping carts; and conduct neighborhood service projects. The department's Community Engagement and Human Relations staffs provide outreach and education to Durham residents and community organizations. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the department helps ensure that Durham has thriving, livable neighborhoods by providing the highest quality of services to engage and educate the community, eradicating blight, ensuring safer neighborhoods and enhancing neighborhood revitalization. For more information, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/cb/nis/Pages/Home.aspx.


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