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DVRPC's Community Investment Index maps the concentrations of recent (2000 through 2010) place-based investments that contribute to sustainable communities, as well as supportive planning activities and underlying development characteristics. Taken together, these maps summarize a location's ability to leverage new sustainability- or livability-oriented investments.

The purpose of these maps is to help planning partners and project sponsors understand how new project proposals can support-and be supported by-prior investments across a range of disciplines (or "topic areas"). For example, a proposal for a new transit facility or trail connection could be strengthened if it builds upon a recent investment in affordable housing or a brownfield redevelopment proposal.

This project included comprehensive mapping of nearly 100 types of place-based investments, the development of composite scoring ("heat map") datasets that summarize concentrations of indicators for each topic area, as well as a final scoring map that summarizes concentrations across all topic areas: the Community Investment Index (CI2). For a detailed description of this project, the analysis that was conducted, and a list of the datasets that were gathered, please CLICK HERE to access the Community Investment Index technical summary (PDF).

It bears noting that the topic area scoring maps and Community Investment Index do not reflect an evaluation of investment outcomes. Two locations might have equivalent numerical CI2 scores, but the contributing factors in each case might be very different, as might the success of prior investment activity. The Community Investment Index can be used in a variety of ways: a high score can be used to make the case for making new investments in the same locations as prior investments (since in the best case, groups of investments can combine to have a greater impact than they do individually). However, a lower score could also be used to make a case for historical underinvestment in a given location.

This web page is a public resource of general information. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) makes no warranty, representation, or guarantee as to the content, sequence, accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the spatial data or database information provided herein. DVRPC and partner state, local, and other agencies shall assume no liability for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information provided regardless of how caused; or any decision made or action taken or not taken by any person relying on any information or data furnished within.

Gregory Krykewycz
Manager
Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning
Phone: 215-238-2945
gkrykewycz@dvrpc.org

This web site allows you to view the CI2 topic area heat maps and the Community Investment Index (CI2) itself for locations across southeastern Pennsylvania. If you would like to access the individual datasets used to develop these heat maps, or find the locations of specific investments in a given community, please CLICK HERE to launch the detailed CI2 data explorer (note that this will require some level of familiarity with the ArcGIS.com interface). For a more detailed description of this project, the analysis that was conducted, and a list of the datasets that were gathered, please CLICK HERE to access the Community Investment Index technical summary (PDF).

Map Navigation:

Click on the map and then drag to pan around the map, or use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out. You may also use the slider bar and arrow controls to zoom. Double-clicking on an area will also zoom in. If you hold down the "Shift Key" and drag a box on the map, it will zoom to the area drawn.

Click to zoom to the DVRPC region.

This composite scoring map summarizes the overall concentrations of investments and indicators across each of the topic areas below. A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of recent place-based investments that contribute to sustainable communities, as well as supportive planning activities and underlying development characteristics.

This map summarizes place-based (rather than programmatic) investments in housing for disadvantaged populations. Data sources include HUD, DCED, USDA, and the Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.

This map summarizes specific incentives and investments to support local economic development, including projects that benefit from direct subsidies, subsidized loan programs, or other public incentives. Data sources outside DVRPC include HUD and DCED.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.

This map summarizes the locations and concentrations of place-based environmental investments and activity. This includes investments in preserved open space, brownfields, watershed protection, and green energy. Data sources outside DVRPC include DCNR, DEP, EPA, DOE, USGBC, and the PA Infrastructure and Investment Authority.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.

This map summarizes several adverse health outcomes - obesity, asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure - in the adult population as collected by the Public Health Management Corporation's Community Health Survey in 2010. Data is collected on sub-county level to reach a large sample size.

A higher numerical score indicates that a higher percentage of adults report having one or more these conditions.

This map summarizes transportation investments that support better connected, more livable communities, and includes things like streetscape investments, investments in bicycle or pedestrian facilities, Hometown Streets / Safe Routes to School (HTS/SRTS), and public transit investments.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.

This map summarizes place-based investments in smart growth planning, and includes investments by Pennsylvania DCED's Land Use Planning and Technical Assistance Program (LUPTAP), the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative (PCTI), and various planning grant programs managed by DVRPC, including Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI), Efficient Growth for Growing Suburbs (EGGS), and others.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.

This map summarizes the service areas of quasi- or non-governmental partners, as well as areas where there are local incentives to attract economic activity. These include Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ), and select community organizations. Data sources outside DVRPC include HUD, DCED, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC), the Philadelphia Revenue Department, Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (RDA), and Montgomery County.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.

This is a composite map that was made from assembling seven datasets that have "scores" for every location in the DVRPC region: DVRPC's Transit Score, DVRPC's Degrees of Disadvantage (DOD), Planning Areas identified in DVRPC's Connections 2035 Long-Range Plan, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) potential, municipal comprehensive plan "freshness," intersection density (as a reflection of connectivity and walkability), and existing levels of transit service.

A higher numerical score indicates that a location has a higher concentration of the investments and measures that were mapped for this topic area.