PolicyMap, an online data and mapping application, now offers a map that allows users to plot desirable places to live in Philadelphia based on criteria including the housing market, transportation costs, and job proximity. Users can fine tune each category based on their needs, such as choosing between low, moderate, or high transportation costs, and overlay up to three categories simultaneously to identify the neighborhoods that could offer them the best opportunities. Users can also include the location of other important resources such as grocery stores and libraries to better identify which neighborhoods meet their needs. PolicyMap uses open data published as part of the White House’s new Opportunity Project, which focuses on increasing access to government data and software tools that can help communities better access resources and improve economic mobility.
Finding Opportunity in Philadelphia
