National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership: The Democratization of Information

Robert W. Deutsch Foundation President Jane Brown at the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) Baltimore Meeting on May 17

The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) is a collaboration between the Urban Institute and local organizations that connect people with neighborhood data. They tackle challenges in education, health, housing, economic opportunity, and public safety.

Begun in 1996 as a peer network of local data intermediaries, NNIP was formed by six local organizations that a saw a need for neighborhood-level data to inform local decision-making. These founding organizations believed that by democratizing information, they could give residents and community organizations a stronger voice in improving their neighborhoods.

The semi-annual meeting, hosted in Baltimore, was an opportunity for a productive and inclusive meeting of NNIP network members and is hosted by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA).

The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, under the direction of President Jane Brown, has been a significant supporter of BNIA’s GEOLOOM project, set to launch in the summer of 2017. GEOLOOM is rooted in the idea that arts and culture play a significant role in the vitality of a place, specifically Baltimore’s neighborhoods. The diagnostic tool will help to insure that every Baltimore neighborhood receives the attention and support needed to establish and maintain livability across the entire city. GEOLOOM will be used for research, planning, exploration, and investment and is intended for city planners, artists, civic leaders, residents, large and small businesses, neighborhood associations, non-profits, real estate developers, private foundations, or government funders.

Jane participated in a discussion called Baltimore: People, Place and Cultural Mapping with Seema Iyer, Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, Krista Green, Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Julia Di Bussolo, Arts Every Day, and Christine Hwang, Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance.

NNIP webcasted the plenary portions of the meeting for partner staff and other friends of NNIP, and the video will later be posted on the NNIP website. We will update with the video when available.