Westside Communities Alliance

A partnership between Atlanta's westside communities and institutions of higher education.

WCA Launches Data Dashboard

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The Westside Communities Alliance introduced a comprehensive interactive Data Dashboard for Atlanta on February 11th.

The WCA Data Dashboard serves as a one-stop shop for key data that is accessible to community stakeholders, researchers, local government agencies, and relevant foundations interested in sustainable Westside community development.

“We believe that this tool has the potential to encourage greater data-driven decision-making at the neighborhood and Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) level in addition to supporting research and policymaking that addresses significant challenges in areas of education, economic development, transit and mobility, and public safety,” said WCA Associate Director Mackenzie Madden.

In its current form, the dashboard offers resources in seven categories:  1) Community Profiles, 2) Economic Development, 3) Education, 4) Public Safety, 5) All Data, 6) Historical Data, and 7) Resource Library.

Presently, the dashboard displays information for NPU’s K, L, and T – the three NPUs connected to the WCA – as compared to the City of Atlanta.

The dashboard is a user-friendly tool that:  1) draws upon available quantitative and qualitative data, 2) stores data collected for current and future research initiatives, 3) provides metrics for assessing the success of diverse engagement and intervention models, and 4) develops comprehensive reports to identify the impact of “anchor institutions” such as Georgia Tech on neighboring communities to highlight knowledge gaps.

The Data Dashboard project began in 2011 as a static Westside neighborhoods asset map created in conjunction with faculty in the Georgia Tech College of Architecture. Under the leadership of Dean Royster and her WCA leadership team, the first virtual tool was created in Fall 2013 by a group of graduate students in Dr. John Stasko’s Data Visualization class. That iteration mapped transit and walkability in the city. The platform also provided a heat map of census data that has since been transformed into the Big Data tool available today. Graduate Research Assistants in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts continued building the dashboard into its present form.

Katie O’Connell, MCRP 2015, was hired as the Project Manager for the Data Dashboard in Summer 2014. She began by researching similar platforms across the country and collecting relevant data for the city of Atlanta. During an Online Tools session of the WCA’s 2014 Community Studio, O’Connell was able to determine the basic pros and cons of existing resources such as the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Neighborhood Nexus, the U.S. EPA’s Enviromapper, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Several focus groups with Westside residents and stakeholders were held as various portals were designed to garner feedback on the usability of the dashboard.

The WCA staff has presented the dashboard at various conferences and symposia including The Center for Community Progress’ Vacant Properties Conference in 2015, Atlanta Studies Symposium, TEDx Atlanta, and the Georgia Tech Center for Urban Innovation.

The WCA Data Dashboard has been made possible through various stages of development in collaboration with entities at Georgia Tech including College of Architecture, College of Computing, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the Center for Geographic Information Systems, and with funding from the Ford Foundation.

Please visit wcadatadashboard.iac.gatech.edu to explore the platform. Please use the hashtag #WCADataDashboard in social media settings, when referencing the tool.

Quilting Workshop – April 27th

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The NAMES Project Foundation, the international caretaker of The AIDS Memorial Quilt, invites the public to gather to create new Quilt panels for members of the community lost to HIV/AIDS.  This is a free, panel making workshop titled “Call My Name” and will be hosted by AIDS Memorial Quilt Curator Jada Harris and Julie Rhoads, President & CEO of The NAMES Project Foundation.

The “Call My Name” workshop will be presented on Sunday April 27th 2014, at the Lindsey Street Baptist Church (550 Lindsey St NW, Atlanta GA 30314) from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm.  No sewing experience is necessary and materials will be provided. Williams explains, “We have all been touched by HIV/AIDS and by creating a panel for The Quilt, we, as a community, are honoring those we have lost and we are transforming that loss into something that offers hope and can keep others safe from this horrible disease.”

QuiltingWorkshopFlyer

The AIDS Memorial Quilt was created one 3 x 6 foot panel at a time by more than 100,000 individuals from across the country and around the world. With everything from teddy bears to wedding rings, B

oy Scout badges to love letters, the more than 48,000 handmade panels that comprise The Quilt are as varied as the individuals they honor and the people who created them.  Each year, sections of The Quilt are presented in nearly 1,000 displays around the world — in community centers, schools, places of worship, corporations, etc. — in an effort to share the messages of hope, healing and action found on The Quilt.

As HIV/AIDS claims more and more lives in the African American community, the demand for Quilt is growing.  Communities understand the power of The Quilt to open hearts and minds and to save lives, but right now we simply don’t have enough Quilt made by and for the African American community to meet this demand.  Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition (AHRC), a partner on this project, uses the harm reduction model as a key prevention tool to fight the transmission of HIV and other blood borne diseases. Please consider attending and helping us remember, create and strengthen our greatest HIV prevention tool– The AIDS Memorial Quilt.

This program is supported in part by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the Westside Communities Alliance, and Africa Atlanta 2014. For more information on the “Call My Name” workshops, please go to aidsquilt.org/callmyname or e-mail sheridf@iac.gatech.edu.

Bills that we are following – HB 965, 966, and 264

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Learn more about these pieces of legislation from the Georgia General Assembly below!

 

House Bill 965 – 911 Medical Amnesty Law

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-us/display/20132014/hb/965

 

House Bill 966 – Pharmacies; licensed health practitioners prescribe opioid antagonists to certain individuals and entities pursuant to a protocol; provisions

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-us/display/20132014/hb/966

 

House Bill 264 – Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act of 1965; extensively revise

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-us/display/20132014/hb/264

 

“How Can Colleges and Universities Engage in Community Development: A Communities Perspective.”

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You’re invited to attend the first Westside Communities Alliance (WCA) Discussion Forum entitled “How Can Colleges and Universities Engage in Community Development: A Communities Perspective.” 

Event Flyer: WCA_Panel_Nov15

The forum will take place Friday afternoon, November 15th, 3:00-5:00pm at 590 North Avenue NW, Atlanta, 30318. We are pleased to have Dr. Harley Etienne, one of the founders of the Westside Communities Alliance and author of Pushing Back the Gates: Neighborhood Perspectives on University-Driven Revitalization in West Philadelphia moderating the discussion.

The City of Atlanta has prioritized the development of the Westside through a commitment to support the new Atlanta Falconʼs stadium, advances with the BeltLineʼs Westside Trail, and more. There are at least seven colleges and universities located in West Atlanta, and more than half of all Atlanta college students are educated on the Westside. We believe hearing Westside community voices and understanding resident perspectives is essential for lasting community transformation. Through this forum the WCA seeks to provide a platform for community organizations and active residents to share concerns, interests, and wishes for responsible partnerships with Atlantaʼs area colleges and universities. Together, we believe, we can bring about community transformation that has lasting benefits across all Westside communities.

The WCA provides a mechanism for sustained partnerships with city officials, relevant funders, higher education institutions and community stakeholders. Together, we can develop comprehensive solutions for complex community challenges. Together, we can rebuild thriving urban neighborhoods on Atlantaʼs westside. Together, we can do better.