Using Data Science to Empower the Future of Lindsay Heights
In 2020 members of the Lab had an opportunity to join the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute as it partnered with Walnut Way on a community project that used data science to understand anti-displacement and equitable housing in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Students from both Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee analyzed nearly 20 years of data on the social, environmental and economic aspects of the neighborhood to determine how it can be leveraged to access financial resources to address the barriers to equitable housing and economic development.
The students were broken into teams to examine a series of issues to help inform the work of Walnut Way. The teams examined rental affordability, property values, homeownership, schools and crime.
The lab team worked on homeownership, utilizing the City of Milwaukee’s Master Property File (MPROP) that includes a detailed assessment of every property in Milwaukee, to create a series of maps in Landgrid highlighting homeownership data in the area.
Analysis showed that since 2000, homeownership had declined from 40% to 30% and the City of Milwaukee was the largest landlord, owning over 436 properties. The northwest part of the neighborhood also showed a clustering of declines in property values since 1999.
The team also used the Department of Neighborhood Services Land Management System to compile data on building violations and construction permits in the area.
Data showed that 66.7% of all violations in the area were residential cases or garbage related and there was an increase in construction permits from 2018 to 2020.
Upon completion of the teams work, Walnut Way said these data tools will help the organization better manage its efforts to promote homeownership and economic sustainability in the area.
The webinar of all the teams presentations can be viewed online.
