“Seeing” Neighborhoods through “Big” Data

Modern administrative data—from 311 and 911 calls to building permit applications to Tweets—offer a detailed view of events and conditions across the city.

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Boston, MA

Modern administrative data—from 311 and 911 calls to building permit applications to Tweets—offer a detailed view of events and conditions across the city. BARI and the City of Boston have sought to capitalize on this opportunity by developing methodologies that translate these data into ecometrics, or measures of the physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods. This “big data” approach to a classic methodology has the potential to be more precise and cheaper than traditional surveys and observational protocols. This project has generated an extended library of ecometrics, including measures of: “broken windows,” or physical disorder, and civic engagement from 311 reports; social disorder and crime and medical emergencies from 911 calls; and growth and investment from building permits.