LocalData is a cloud-hosted mapping platform that allows civic organizations (governments and non-profits) to quickly collect and visualize data online. Add data that feeds directly back into municipal databases, or create new civic data to power local decisionmaking.
Design surveys + collect real-time data
Design custom surveys online that fit the needs of your organization, then collect data using any smartphone or tablet with a browser. Base your survey on existing files like parcels, road lines or other shapes, or create data by dropping points on a map. Rich geospatial information, including photos, qualitative, and quantitative data is stored online. Easy-to-use mobile tools make data collection in the field simple.
Data dashboard + integration
Once data is entered, LocalData visualizes patterns on a map, letting you drill down to the parcel or point level in the web browser. Data you collect can instantly connect to existing datasets stored in Accela, including valuable information like inspection reports and ownership details. You can quickly cross reference existing information with updated datasets:
Generating Civic Data
LocalData can help produce, map and understand many kinds of civic data. Here are a few of the most popular use cases:
Supply chain + logistics mapping
Researchers at the MIT Megacities Logistics Lab use LocalData to collect and map data on supply chain logistics in Mexico City, Singapore and Rio. Traffic counts and street-level observations on retail deliveries allow researchers and local policymakers to create better traffic laws supporting local and global goods distribution.
Vacancy + blight mapping
In Gary, Indiana, the Office of the Mayor and the University of Chicago use LocalData to map and understand blighted properties across the city. Data has helped secure federal funding from Obama's Hardest Hit funds and inform official strategy for future demolition with up-to-date information on at-risk neighborhoods.
Bike infrastructure
The Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan used LocalData to map and understand existing bicycle use throughout the region. The data collected was used to make decisions about where to place bike lanes and hubs as part of a $15 million regional greenway initiative.
CivicID powers engagement
These tools aren't just available to city governments. Thanks to the Construct API and Accela's new CivicID, nonprofits and others working in an Accela-powered city can access the same data, as well as discover new ways to contribute data back to the city.