Urban Institute data analysis tools, like Quality of Life Explorer, are widely used by city and county planners, local governments, and social service agencies.
Andrew Bowen, a Charlotte native, is the city of Charlotte’s innovation and data officer. He leads a team representing the city in collaboration with the Mecklenburg County and Urban Research Institute and manages the Quality of Life Explorer. Their role is to combine, analyze, and contextualize the over 80 individual variables in the tool’s database.
“We are often asked to provide data analysis and trending data,” Bowen said, noting that Charlotte’s Uniform Development Ordinance and Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan are part of the community area planning and visioning process that leverages data analysis. He pointed out that this is an example.
“One of the things we’ve been able to do with Quality of Life Explorer and access to so much valuable information is connect and align each community plan with neighborhood profile areas,” Bowen said. said. This allows city planners to compare data points across zip codes. ”
Bowen, who serves on the Regional Data Trust Board, points out that the “Character” category in Quality of Life Explorer, for example, shows median age, population density, race/ethnicity, and open space. did. These elements can be tracked and reported over time. “Ten years from now, after these community plans have been put together, parts of the UDO have been implemented, and the vision has been realized, we will be able to report on, look back on, and bring all these different elements together into a standard unit of analysis. It has built-in tagging capabilities. It’s a powerful tool.”
Charlotte City Councilwoman Marjorie Molina ’22, Master of Business Administration, is an advocate for Quality of Life Explorers. She uses this tool to share valuable insights into the demographics and needs of District 5 voters. “I recently held a town hall where the Quality of Life Explorer was the star of the room,” Molina said.
She said many people make assumptions about the character of their district without hard data. Checking detailed neighborhood statistics reveals this. Customs reports showed that the median age of residents in her district was much lower (under 35) than many realized. “We have more young people in our neighborhoods than young people who frequent public spaces like City Hall,” Molina said, adding that this makes it difficult to find where and how to reach out to these residents. He pointed out that it shows how best to access it.
