SF neighborhood sustainabilitySan Francisco taps big data to measure neighborhood sustainability. Though San Francisco is often thought of as the epicenter of urban sustainability, the city is now embarking on a new venture that will use open data to monitor neighborhoods and predict future urban development.

 

The Neighborhood Sustainability Approach

Teaming with the University of Chicago, and using Chicago’s WindyGrid framework design, city planners will be able to measure each community’s sustainability levels using metrics such as energy, water usage, materials management, health, local habitat, community investment and mobility.

The use of such data could provide data-driven accountability for each neighborhood for the first time. The big challenge will be coordinating data sets and mapping out the specific neighborhoods. The anticipated approach is to establish eco-districts within a community that share residential, commercial, and industrial characteristics.

A beta version is expected in early 2015, with a public version shortly thereafter.

We want this to be a demonstration project that shows cities the power of data and citizen-facing technologies that change the way cities grow.” — Matthew Gee, Project Coordinator, University of Chicago

For the full article, see the NationSwell website.

About the Author: Lauren Boitel

Lauren Boitel is the Executive Director of ImpactNV, a statewide sustainability NGO convener and coalition builder that drives systemic change around economic, environmental, and social sustainability in the Silver State. Lauren has 12 years of experience as a Sustainability Professional in Southern Nevada and teaches Sustainability & Entrepreneurship for the Lee Business School at UNLV.
Published On: July 15, 2014Categories: National - Global, Sustainability in the NewsComments Off on San Francisco to Measure Neighborhood SustainabilityTags: , , ,