In order to make informed decisions on where public resources should be directed, leaders must make use of all available data.
One advantage of living in the modern-era is the sheer amount of data available to individuals making decisions. Data can be used by leaders to make informed decisions on how best to distribute resources to projects.
The Place Database, produced by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, is a map platform that can be used to visualize the latest available data for dozens of indicators—ranging from housing affordability, brownfield sites, or federal government spending. Many of the data sets used in the platform have several years of information, allowing individuals to see how conditions have changed over time.
For more information on how “big data” can be used in strategic planning, visit the American Planning Association.