CONTACT:
CDRPC – Mark Castiglione – mark@cdrpc.org – 518-453-0850
Press Release
Regional Indicators Website Now Includes 2022 5-Year ACS Data, School District and Zip Code Dashboards
May 9, 2024 (Albany, NY) The Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC), in partnership with the Capital Region Chamber, The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and the Capital Region Transportation Council are pleased to announce the most recent US Census 5-year American Community Survey data is now available on capitalregionindicators.org. In addition, the website now features data dashboards for all school districts and zip code areas in the greater eight-county Capital Region.
The addition of the latest 5-year American Community Survey (ACS), data on the capital region indicators website allows access to the most recent demographic and socioeconomic information through dynamic data visualizations. The site includes data dashboards including more than 50 indicators for each county, municipality, census tract, block group, school district and zip code area in the region.
Mark Castiglione, Executive Director of CDPRC said, “CapitalRegionIndicators.org puts data at the fingertips of people and will help them easily understand and digest the information without having to dig through websites, spreadsheets or use complicated software to make sense of it all,” said. “The site has also helped many local agencies and not for profits access timely information needed grant applications, municipal planning or report-writing.”
The development of the website was initially funded jointly by the Capital Region Chamber and the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region.
Mark Eagan, President and CEO of the Capital Region Chamber said, “The Capital Region Chamber is proud to be a partner in Capital Region Indicators website. This project started as an idea in 2018 based on a need identified by nonprofit organizations in the area. We are pleased with how the site has evolved as an easy-to-navigate central data source which can better inform and guide the work of non-profits, for-profits and governmental agencies. The more organizations that align their work to address chronic and emerging issues that drive key indicators, the greater our collective capacity to enhance the economic and social well-being for all that call the Capital Region home.”
John Eberle, President & CEO of the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region said, “Community Indicators are critical for policy makers, businesses, community leaders, and nonprofits that serve day-in and day-out to make our region a place where everyone can thrive. Using data to inform action is smart and the only way we can make change together. Please take some time and consider what you see — is our community better, the same, or worse than in the past? Let’s celebrate our wins, give credit where credit is due, and then join hands across the Capital Region to address the emerging and critical needs we see. The Community Foundation is honored to be a partner in the Capital Region Indicators project and looks forward to future collaboration and collective action in the days to come.”
The website is a joint initiative among the partners and the University’s Albany Visualization and Informatics Lab (AVAIL) which custom built the platform. The site is being maintained by CDRPC and AVAIL and is funded, in part, by the Capital Region Transportation Council.
Catherine Lawson, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Planning and Director of AVAIL said, “This project is just one example of the University at Albany’s commitment to using our resources to give back to the community. We are pleased our AVAIL team is engaged in this project to develop a tool that will drive conversation, inspire charitable efforts, and inform the general public.”
Sandra Misiewicz, AICP, Executive Director of the Capital Region Transportation Council said, “The Transportation Council is pleased to partner with CDRPC, the Capital Region Chamber, and UAlbany’s AVAIL Lab on the Regional Indicators Dashboard. The website has been a useful tool for our members, non-profits, businesses, and community groups.”
The website includes profiles for the 4-county and 8-county Capital Region area. Each profile includes indicators which are categorized under Economy, Transportation, Housing, Education, Health and Social Welfare. Profiles pages feature data visualizations and the ability to compare data over time and across geographies. In addition, the platform features a robust mapping interface that allows users to explore data geographically down to the census tract and block group levels. Using the best available information, the website serves as a common source for data and interactive visualizations that will inform community members on critical topics related to the economic and social health, as well as progress of our region.
While the website is intuitive, a brief tutorial has been developed on how someone could use the website to develop grant applications.
About the Partners:
The Capital Region Chamber represents 2,900 businesses and organizations from Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady and Rensselaer Counties and beyond – that employ more than 160,000 area residents. The Capital Region Chamber provides leadership and resources to grow member businesses and the regional economy.
Since 1968, the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region has worked to improve the quality of life in the region by promoting and facilitating effective philanthropy. Our success is directly related to our generous donors who invest through the Community Foundation in our area’s most effective nonprofit organizations.
The Capital District Regional Planning Commission (CDRPC) provides objective analysis of data, trends, helping to identify opportunities and challenges. Established and is funded, in part, by Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga and Schenectady Counties, CDRPC provides technical assistance and facilitates partnerships to address regional problems.
The Capital Region Transportation Council is a public transportation planning agency and the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy and Saratoga Springs metropolitan areas and the four-county region. The Transportation Council provides a forum for long range transportation planning, offers communities planning and technical assistance and makes decisions through a public process about major transportation capital investments. Our region’s transportation future is shaped by decisions made by the Transportation Council.
Albany Visualization and Informatics Labs (AVAIL) is the premier data science engineering group within the State University of New York at Albany. AVAIL is on a mission to empower a new generation of students to assimilate computer science knowledge and subject-matter expertise in the fields of data science and analytics. In doing so, AVAIL is formulating innovative solutions for private business and government.
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