Chicago’s award-winning Southwest Organizing Project is aiming for big impact with a new project: they’re rehabbing more than 50 homes in their neighborhood. They’ve been collecting data for years, but to make this happen, SWOP needs an accurate picture of their neighborhood – and fast.

We believe that every community can design its own future, and that good data makes for better decisions. That’s why the Smart Chicago Collaborative and LocalData are partnering to make sure that SWOP has the data they need and tools to manage it.

Starting this week, SWOP will be out in the field collecting information on vacancy and building conditions in their neighborhood. Using the LocalData platform, organizers and volunteers will be able to quickly collect data out in the field using smartphones and tablets. Powerful mapping and visualization tools will make it straightforward to visualize and export the data. And a shared dashboard means everyone, from field workers to academic partners, will be on the same page.

We’re also making it incredibly easy for organizers to report nuisance properties to the City. Smart Chicago knows that the most effective tools boost the efforts of civic organizations who are working in the trenches day in and day out to solve the city’s most difficult problems. That’s why we’re adding one-click integration with the City of Chicago’s 311 system. It’s a win for the City, for SWOP, and the neighborhood.