ProvPlan
Information For Change
In 1992 the Providence Plan (ProvPlan) set out to improve the economic and social well being of the city of Providence. To achieve this ambitious goal, the group, founded as a partnership between the state, city government, and private sector, took an interesting tack: use data to help people better understand the city and the needs of its residents. Nearly fifteen years later, ProvPlan has used this approach to bring a transformative focus to issues like economic development, public safety, healthcare, and education.
At the core of ProvPlan's innovative approach is its flagship "Information For Change" agenda. The ProvPlan serves as an information intermediary by acquiring raw data and converting it into coherent statistics that gives people a better view of their neighborhoods.
"We are improving the scope, quality, accessibility and usability of information for our communities through geographic information systems," says ProvPlan Executive Director Pat McGuigan. "Our system maps, analyzes and communicates data at a variety of geographic levels, from individual properties to neighborhoods to the entire city."
ProvPlan has used its mapping approach, along with data provided by a host of other government agencies, to create neighborhood profiles for each of the 25 neighborhoods in Providence.
"Information ranges from zoning, land use, and census data to administrative data on health and education," McGuigan explains. "This tells the story of our neighborhoods block by block. Narrowing our focus to individual streets and neighborhoods really engages people. If communities see unfavorable statistics about their neighborhood, like a high absentee landlord rate, for example, they are more likely to take action."
ProvPlan goes beyond providing static data by empowering people to solve problems. Its website, www. provplan.org, is a powerful interactive tool anyone can access for information about businesses, surrounding areas, and the communities in which they live.
"We're about making information available to help make change. Our bottom line is helping people understand and take action," says McGuigan.
ProvPlan underscores that bottom line by actively improving its community through initiatives like YouthBuild Providence and Ready To Learn Providence. YouthBuild is an education and work program that helps high school dropouts gain the literacy and job-readiness skills needed for a successful transition into the workforce. Ready To Learn is a coalition of parents, educators, librarians, health-care professionals, and government representatives that helps children enter school healthy and ready to learn.
"Our proactive approach to providing objective data and our initiative in offering programs that benefit our community is proof that a successful combination of theory and practice can exist," says McGuigan.
This success has built ProvPlan into a community think tank where people across the state gather for independent forums to discuss ideas, formulate strategies and work toward common goals. McGuigan believes Rhode Island's size is an asset to this kind of information sharing.
"Because of our state's size, we all have better access to decision makers statewide, which helps us gain access to the data we need," McGuigan explains. "As a result, organizations and businesses interested in building and growing here can easily access comprehensive data to see the work we're doing and the improvements we're making."
This creates a connectedness and an ability to succeed, he says, that larger states may not be able to provide.
"We can get the people we need to focus on making things happen. . The remarkable progress that Providence has made over the last two decades to become known as a major city in New England for resources, opportunities and quality of life is quite an accomplishment. It shows that we're not complacent, and we don't take our successes for granted, which is a real strength."
ProvPlan's work has made an impression across the country, garnering attention from organizations like Washington D.C.'s Brookings Institute, which recently invited McGuigan to talk about ProvPlan's success.
"Our information is a powerful resource that unites people," McGuigan says. "ProvPlan gets people talking and encourages them to take action to improve their communities. It's a win-win for all, and it is exciting that our value and purpose make positive things happen across our state."