(Philadelphia, November 14, 2016) – The City’s Office of Innovation and Technology OIT) today reached another milestone in the release of the City’s Open Data: a Vacant Property Indicators open dataset, which details the location of likely vacant buildings or lots across Philadelphia based on an assessment of administrative datasets.

“This dataset is an important tool as the Administration works to spur economic activity, improve public safety, increase access to affordable housing and ensure vibrant neighborhoods for all residents of Philadelphia,” said Mayor Jim Kenney.

The dataset is based on an analytical model developed by OIT in cooperation with the Department of Licenses and Inspections, the Office of Property Assessment, the Philadelphia Land Bank, and the Philadelphia Water Department. The model aggregates multiple city administrative and geographic data sources, selecting for indicators of potential building or land vacancy for each tax parcel boundary in the city. Properties that score on half or more of the indicators as either a vacant building or vacant lot are included in the datasets.

“Protecting the public from deteriorating vacant, abandoned properties as they grow more and more likely to collapse is critical to L&I’s mission,” said L&I Commissioner David Perri.  “The Vacant Property Model and dataset are making us more proactive and strategic in carrying out that mission.”

To determine potential vacancies, OIT used indicators that tend to signify vacancy including, for example, a code violation issued by L&I or the OPA vacant property code.

“The Vacant Property Indicators datasets create a geographic inventory of both potentially vacant buildings and vacant lots in the city,” said Mark Wheeler, the City’s Chief Geographic Officer. “The more indicators that are in agreement on the status of vacancy, the higher the reliability score. City departments can use the high scoring values to validate their own information on vacancies for billing, assessment or inspection purposes. The datasets provide a view of where vacancy – by building or lot – may be most concentrated by block. This can help planning and housing agencies and engaged communities to target areas most in need of resources and attention to combat vacancy and its negative impacts.”

The data can be downloaded at OpenDataPhilly.org with additional descriptive information available on the City’s metadata catalog.