Neighborhood Information System (NIS) Information
The Philadelphia NIS is a web-based property and social indicators information system used by city agencies and community based organizations throughout Philadelphia. NIS users research individual properties; run queries to locate comparables; plan, site and evaluate housing development programs; and study neighborhood conditions with user-defined maps, charts and reports. The integrated database also supports housing and vacancy research at the University of Pennsylvania.

The NIS features several applications. The parcelBase website works with address-level data while the neighborhoodBase website works with collected data over entire areas , both focusing on vacancy, abandonment, and characteristics of the population. CrimeBase uses police data to describe crime rates by any geographic area, and can be especially useful when used in conjunction with the other applications. MuralBase maps Mural Arts program murals across the city.

The NIS is developed and maintained by the Cartographic Modeling Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The CML research lab uses GIS mapping software to build models of social environments that enable researchers to predict and explain the dynamics of urban change. We provide support for users of GIS software, develop research tools for the public, and engage in our own innovative research. The Cartographic Modeling Lab is a joint venture of the School of Design and the School of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania.

The CML website can be accessed at www.cml.upenn.edu

External Funders
The City of Philadelphia, William Penn Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, University of Pennsylvania and the Fannie Mae Corporation

Principal Investigator
Dennis Culhane (Cartographic Modeling Lab Faculty Director/School of Social Work).

Partnering Agencies
Mayor’s Office of Information Services, Office of Housing and Community Development, Department of Licenses & Inspections, Philadelphia Gas Works, Revenue, Water Revenue, Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Philadelphia Housing Association, Philadelphia Fire Marshall’s Office.