LocalData

LocalData originated as a Code for America project in 2012, founded by Alicia Rouault, Matt Hampel, and Prashant Singh. The founders' backgrounds in urban planning, web development, and technology for communities shaped the company's direction. Rouault, with her experience at the intersection of urban planning and technology, served as CEO, while Singh, a former Microsoft developer and Code for America Fellow, took on the role of CTO, and Hampel, a web developer with a focus on civic information gathering, also joined as a founder. The company was born out of a need identified in Detroit for more efficient collection of street-level data for neighborhood surveys, a process that was often lengthy and resource-intensive for community groups and city agencies.

The firm operates as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider, offering a cloud-based mapping platform for cities, non-profits, and community organizations to make data-driven decisions. Its business model centers on enabling these clients to collect, visualize, and analyze street-level information in real-time without requiring a data expert. Clients are typically public sector and non-profit professionals engaged in urban planning and community development. Among its users have been Harvard University, the City of Houston, and the City of Detroit.

LocalData's core product is a platform that simplifies the collection of geospatial data. It allows users to design custom map-based surveys for documenting everything from community assets to the condition of vacant lots. Data collection is done in the field using smartphones or tablets through a simple mobile browser interface, eliminating the need for paper transcription. The platform then allows for immediate visualization and analysis of this geospatial data. For more advanced use, the data can be exported to various formats compatible with software like Microsoft Excel, Google Earth, and ESRI ArcGIS. The company eventually became part of Azavea, a geospatial software firm, which was subsequently acquired by Element 84 in February 2023, combining their expertise in geospatial data analysis and open-source technology.

Keywords: urban planning, geospatial data, civic technology, data collection, mapping platform, community development, street-level data, data visualization, SaaS, urban infrastructure, non-profit tools, government technology, real-time data, data analysis, survey builder, Azavea, Element 84, Code for America, Alicia Rouault, Matt Hampel