Philly uses GIS to demolish data silos and spur housing reform

Philadelphia officials dismantled data silos to improve housing policy, using geographic information systems to address neighborhood challenges.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s office launched Philly Stat 360 in 2024 to make public services more transparent. The initiative uses digital maps to show housing issues in the nation’s sixth-largest city. One key tool is the Kensington Dashboard, built on Esri’s GIS technology. Residents use the portal to find renter assistance, check crime reports, and view community events. City leaders also rely on the dashboard to spot threats to affordable housing, such as property speculation.

Kristin Bray, chief counsel to the mayor’s office, described how developers purchase land at sheriff sales for a nominal amount. These owners often leave the properties undeveloped while not paying taxes or utility bills. Bray believes these owners hold the land to wait for value increases. The property data on the dashboard provided the evidence needed for policy changes.

The city changed its collection policy and increased enforcement. A dedicated team now bundles cases involving these property owners and presents them to judges. The goal is to prove that multiple bad actors are taking advantage of systemic gaps.

Ruthbea Yesner of IDC noted that GIS turns abstract policy debates into visual tools. A zoning map or housing-cost dashboard lets a council member or resident question the data in seconds. This visual credibility makes the technology effective for public communication.

The dashboard relies on a centralized data infrastructure. The city’s GIS team, part of the Office of Innovation and Technology, spent 15 to 20 years centralizing public data. They built DataBridge, a platform that combines nonspatial and tabular data with geospatial information. This centralization broke down most data silos in Philadelphia.

Tim Haynes, the city’s chief data and geographic information officer, said open data makes starting projects easier. The team decided to display housing data through GIS because most information is tied to a specific location. Haynes noted that 99% of city data is spatial and can be linked to a place.

Bray said the open data platform allows officials to meet with the community regularly. They ask residents if the data on the dashboard reflects their lived experience. GIS also helps officials simulate the impact of zoning changes before voting. They can model density, affordability set-asides, or infrastructure impact in advance.

Officials are currently examining how to add health and human services data to the dashboard. They also plan to extend the system to other neighborhoods in Philadelphia.