Emily Badger is extremely impressed—and for good reason—with the City of Los Angeles' new neighborhood data portal, built in connection with the development a new health and wellness chapter for the city's General Plan.
What type of information is important to understand a city's health and wellness? Off-sale liquor license rates? Rates of motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians? The prevalence of childhood obesity? How about all of the above and much much more.
A new web tool launched by the City of Los Angeles as part of its Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles, "maps a tremendous number of metrics about life in the region, at both the city and neighborhood scales" in an easy to digest graphic interface.
"Much of the data comes from the Health Atlas [PDF] the city released earlier this year, which made clear that life expectancies, for example, varied considerably across town. In an interactive mapping tool, however, that same information is now much more accessible, and can be viewed city-wide or by neighborhood," notes Badger.
FULL STORY: The Neighborhood Data Portal Every City Needs

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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