FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2004
CONTACT: Rachaele
Raynoff, Press Secretary -- (212) 720-3471
DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING
LAUNCHES NEW CENSUS FACTFINDER
TO SIMPLIFY CUSTOM SEARCHES OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
BY NEIGHBORHOOD
May 13, 2004 – The Department of City Planning
has created a new web-based Census
Factfinder utility
to facilitate retrieval of New York City demographic
information, City Planning Director Amanda M. Burden
announced today. The interface, which is available
on the city’s web site, enables the user to identify
an area or neighborhood and retrieve information related
to the background and economic status of its residents
and characteristics of their housing among other data.
"The Census Factfinder is an enormously useful
tool that makes City Planning’s sophisticated
data analysis available to the average citizen via
a simple, easy to use interface at nyc.gov," said
Ms. Burden, "It extends the administration’s
commitment to making information accessible. This information
is presented in a format that will be used by people
in many capacities, from grant writers to students,
and reporters to businesses, in order to get a profile
of a given community. It builds upon the wealth of
information already offered on the web site."
Much like the increased automation of services on
the city’s web site and creation of the 311 citizen
information line, the Census Factfinder is part of
the Bloomberg administration’s use of technology
to better serve the public and to help citizens access
information to improve their neighborhoods.
Using any computer with an internet connection, visitors
may customize an area composed of up to 15 census tracts
they wish to research. The user types in an address
or community district to view a profile of the area.
From among selected census categories, the user may
retrieve information on household size, income, race,
education, employment, housing characteristics and
housing cost. The data
being searched is from the most recent U.S. Census
in 2000.
The ability to customize the search by any combination
of up to 15 of census tracts is expected to be extremely
valuable to survey and market researchers, political
scientists, non-profit community service agencies – even
homebuyers.
The interface was developed in house at City Planning
using ESRI ArcIMS software and the Java programming
language.
In addition, the web site now offers an Address
Translator.
Users may enter an address, block and lot or street
and two cross-streets for geographic information such
as administrative and political districts, zip code,
block & lot number, police precinct, cross streets
and more.
Both the Census
Factfinder and Address
Translator applications can be found on the lower left of City
Planning’s web page on www.nyc.gov/planning under
the heading "GeoQuery".
About City Planning
The Department of City Planning is responsible for the
City's physical and socioeconomic planning, including
land use and environmental review; preparation of plans
and policies; and provision of technical assistance
and planning information to government agencies, public
officials, and community boards.
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