1. Informing Natural Disaster
Response with Census Data
Jonathan Auerbach
Chris Eshleman

2. Constituent Generated Data Agency Generated Data

3. Linking Information
Agency Generated DataConstituent Generated Data

4. Parks Department Data
Linking Information
Constituent Generated Data

5. Picture from New York Times

6. Picture from AP

7. Picture from Reuters

8. Pictures
from
Reuters/CBS
Picture from Reuters

12. Real-Time Policy Decisions
• Should a state of emergency be declared?
• How large should relief funds be? Where should
they be distributed?
• Should the marathon be canceled?

13. Linking Information
Constituent Generated Data Parks Department Data

14. Linking Information
Service Request Data Parks Department Data

18. Service Request Data
Linking Information
Parks Department Data

19. Census Bureau
Planning Data
Service Request Data Parks Department Data

20. Model Considerations
Parks Department Experts Say service requests
consistent among resident groups

21. Model Considerations
Economists Say resident contacts city because
benefit exceeds the cost
Parks Department Experts Say service requests
consistent among resident groups

22. Model Considerations
Economists Say resident contacts city because
benefit exceeds the cost
Sociologists Say benefit or cost due to heterogeneity
in stake or social efficacy level of group
Parks Department Experts Say service requests
consistent among resident groups

23. ith resident jth group

24. ith resident jth group

25. ith resident jth group

26. ith resident jth group

30. Few White, Owner Occupied, Single Unit
Moderate White, Owner Occupied, Single Unit
Many White, Owner Occupied, Single Unit

31. Many Hispanic, Renter Occupied, Multiple Unit
Moderate Hispanic, Renter Occupied, Multiple Unit
Few Hispanic, Renter Occupied, Multiple Unit

32. Census-Wide Association Study
Challenges:
1. High pairwise correlation among census
variables
2. The number of variables are large
3. The regression model uses a noncanonical link
function

33. Census-Wide Association Study
Solution:
1. & 2. Add L1 and L2 penalties to impose group
selection on the regression coefficients.
3. Use statistical software Stan to implement
Bayesian Elastic Net.

34. Census-Wide Association Study