PolicyMap

PolicyMap
Name	PolicyMap
Type	Online data and mapping platform
Founded	2009
Founder	Steve Romalewski
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Industry	Data visualization, Geographic information systems

PolicyMap PolicyMap is an online geographic information system and data visualization platform designed to aggregate, analyze, and display location-based statistics for decision makers. The platform combines datasets from federal agencies, state authorities, research institutions, philanthropic organizations, and commercial vendors to produce layered maps, charts, and reports for planners, researchers, and policymakers. PolicyMap serves users across urban planning, public health, housing, finance, and academic research, integrating spatial data with administrative boundaries and demographic indicators.

Overview

PolicyMap aggregates spatial datasets from a broad array of institutions including United States Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Internal Revenue Service. The platform provides tools for mapping indicators like income, home values, crime, health outcomes, and employment alongside boundaries such as census tract, ZIP Code Tabulation Area, and Metropolitan Statistical Area. Users can export data to reports used by entities such as city planning commissions, community development financial institutions, and academic research centers at universities like University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley. PolicyMap integrates with GIS ecosystems and influences analyses used by institutions including Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, World Bank, and United Nations Development Programme. The platform leverages data stewardship practices similar to those used by Esri, OpenStreetMap, and national mapping agencies.

History

PolicyMap was founded in 2009 by cartographer and data specialist Steve Romalewski, building on mapping practices from projects associated with organizations such as National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and Brookings Institution. Early adopters included municipal planners from City of Philadelphia and researchers at Temple University. Over time, PolicyMap added datasets from federal sources like the Small Business Administration and incorporated proprietary data from financial firms and philanthropic data initiatives such as those by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Kresge Foundation. The platform evolved alongside technological shifts influenced by companies like Google and Amazon Web Services in cloud deployment and by open data movements championed by Sunlight Foundation and Code for America.

Data and Methodology

PolicyMap curates data from federal agencies including National Center for Health Statistics and Economic Research Service, state agencies such as Pennsylvania Department of Health, and national surveys like the American Community Survey and Current Population Survey. Methodological approaches employ geographic aggregation comparable to techniques used by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Geological Survey, while data normalization mirrors standards from International Organization for Standardization and statistical practices taught at institutions such as London School of Economics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Indicators are calculated using metadata protocols similar to those of Data.gov and adhere to privacy guidelines referenced by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act where applicable. Quality assurance workflows reflect practices from Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and American Statistical Association.

Features and Tools

PolicyMap offers mapping, charting, and report-generation features paralleling functionality found in products by Tableau, QGIS, and ArcGIS Online. Tools include thematic mapping, address-lookup similar to Google Maps geocoding, risk assessment layers used by insurers like Aon, and lending area assessments compliant with regulations such as the Community Reinvestment Act. Users can create custom datasets, run spatial queries, and export tables for statistical packages used at Stanford University and Columbia University. Features support integration with workflows from consulting firms like McKinsey & Company and research from think tanks including Urban Institute and Rand Corporation.

Applications and Use Cases

PolicyMap is used in urban planning projects with agencies such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority and housing studies for entities like Habitat for Humanity and National Low Income Housing Coalition. Public health departments at organizations including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and American Public Health Association use PolicyMap for epidemiological mapping and resource allocation. Financial institutions such as Wells Fargo and Citigroup utilize the platform for branch analytics and Community Reinvestment Act compliance. Nonprofits and foundations such as Ford Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation employ PolicyMap for grantmaking and program evaluation. Academic researchers publish spatial analyses using PolicyMap outputs in journals associated with American Planning Association and conferences like Association of American Geographers.

Licensing and Access

PolicyMap provides subscription tiers for academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, and commercial users, akin to licensing models used by LexisNexis and Bloomberg. Academic site licenses facilitate campus-wide access at universities such as University of Michigan and Georgetown University, while municipal contracts resemble procurement agreements used by agencies like New York City Department of City Planning. Data licensing respects source restrictions from providers including Claritas and CoreLogic and follows intellectual property norms enforced by Library of Congress and licensing frameworks such as Creative Commons where applicable.

Reception and Criticism

PolicyMap has been praised in reviews by outlets and organizations including Governing (magazine), PJ Media, and research groups at Brookings Institution for democratizing access to spatial data and supporting evidence-based decision-making. Critics point to limitations noted by academics at Princeton University and Brown University regarding proprietary data opacity, potential biases from source selection, and challenges replicating results in open-source environments like R Project and Python (programming language) geospatial stacks. Debates around data equity reference discussions by Data & Society Research Institute and policy critiques from Center for American Progress and Heritage Foundation.

Category:Geographic information systems