This document provides an overview of MoveSmart.org, a technology platform that aims to encourage residential integration and rebuild social capital through a housing search tool. The tool would leverage data and an intuitive interface to help users find neighborhoods that match their priorities. Features would include neighborhood guides, a neighborhood finder tool, user stories, and tools to connect users to local organizations. The platform is designed to be cost-effective, modular, and help overcome barriers to integration like a lack of information. It has received interest from foundations and is peer-vetted.

2. technology for residential integration
Justin Massa
executive director / co-founder
100 N LaSalle St | Suite 600 | Chicago, IL 60605
justin@movesmart.org
phone: 312.436.1482

3. overview
• background / context
• foundations
• a unique approach
• site features and functions
• evaluation
• platform
• funding
• why MoveSmart.org?

4. background / context
• 40th anniversary of the Chicago
Freedom Movement, unchanged
segregation
• demise of Leadership Council for
Metropolitan Open Communities
• information/data challenges in
CHAC’s EHOP
• emerging web 2.0 map
technologies
• housing search moves online,
craigslist lawsuit

5. foundations
• Krysan’s Chicago Area Study and “Racial
Blind Spots” research
- discrimination, economics, or
individual behavior?
• Turner & Briggs’ MTO/MTW analysis
- challenges and opportunities
mismatch
• counseling approach to powell’s
“opportunity-based housing”
source: Prof. Maria Krysan
• Chicagoland housing counselor survey
results (MCIC)
• successes of One Economy’s Beehive,
Illinois Legal Aid Online, Center for
Access to Justice & Technology

6. a unique approach
• leverage scalable power of data and technology
to encourage integration and rebuild social capital
• social venture: business plan details mix of pages
to real estate professionals, site sponsors, and
affordable housing advertisements
• a versatile platform: City.MoveSmart.org
• use of creative commons / GNU public license
and open source tools, contribution to open
source code base

7. site features and functions
• Guides (live)
• Neighborhood Finder
(8/15/09)
‣ Dig Deeper (9/21/09)
• “My new
neighborhood is...”
Stories (11/09)
• Neighborhood
Connections (1/10)
bilingual (Spanish) + W3C/WCAG 2.0 compliant
• Housing Counselor (3/10, pending funding)
Tools (3/10)

8. guides
• tagged 2-ways
- by category: Find a
Neighborhood,
Buy, Rent, Settle
In, Problems,
Improve
Community, For
Landlords
• wide variety of topics - by keyword
• written at 8th grade level or sourced • user-rated, comment-
from community partners enabled
• display related organizations (3/10) • printable

9. neighborhood finder
• Step One: create profile
- current address,
work address,
mode of transit,
household size and
income, rent or
buy, race/ethnicity
- registration
optional
• Step Two: select neighborhood priorities
- choose up to three priorities from a limited list,
• Neighborhood Quiz [for random sample]

10. neighborhood finder data
• Amenities:
- grocery stores, libraries, public transit access, car sharing,
schools, daycare centers, parks, farmers markets, health
centers, etc.
• Quality of Life:
- crime index, air quality / incidence of asthma, incidence of
lead poisoning, WalkScore, food deserts, diverse
community, etc.
• Opportunities:
- affordable housing choices, community gardens, after
school programs, social services, NPO-created google
maps, etc.
‣ note: some data is searchable, all is mappable

11. neighborhood finder
• Step Three: results
‣ 4th priority: increase
diversity
‣ zip code-centric
‣ filters: land use and
method of transit
‣ custom filters based on
any geo data
‣ supporting info: commute
time, housing cost, %
match; custom supporting
info

12. neighborhood finder
• Step Four: view zip codes
‣ map w/ priorities displayed
‣ clickable layers
‣ quality of life data, normed
for region
‣ relevant guides
‣ housing + transportation
budget
‣ zip code suggestion engine
‣ save favorites

13. dig deeper
• explosion of geo-tagged
content across the web
• upcoming events, purchase
and rental average price
data, average lending rates by
zip code, municipal services,
pictures and videos, green
issues, hyper-local news - all
aggregated by zip code
• empowers a smarter
consumer and provides
richer snapshot of a
neighborhood

14. my new neighborhood is...
• stories of integrative moves and their impact
in response to a prompt
• written by registered users and edited by
MoveSmart.org staff and volunteers
• rich media - videos, pictures, text, and a map
• displayed throughout the site

15. neighborhood connections
• goal: rebuild social
capital and put down
roots
• internal database of
neighborhood-based
organizations
• pull data from wide
variety of websites
• one-click submission to
neighborhood orgs +
printable directory

16. benefits of registration
• comment on and rate guides
• save profile, save favorite zip
codes, browse search history
• contribute “My new
neighborhood is...” stories
and media
• submit contact information
to and receive updates from
Neighborhood Connections
• print neighborhood
directory
• possibilities of registration-
required, closed system

17. housing counselor & organization tools
• create printable and share-able maps for
advocacy campaign
• add, edit, and tag Guides and
neighborhood organizations
• branded, printable Guides and search
results
• upload additional data sets, view and alter
search matrix factors, granular permission
controls
• closed system: access and share user files,
link to internal file management system
• premium feature: regional news feed -
BroadShouldersUpdate.com

18. Site Analytics
registered users count,
time on site, bounce
rate, completed searches evaluation
User Neighborhood Opinions
pre-results neighborhood quiz
matched to saved favorites,
evaluate if changed attitudes
Successful Integrative Moves
post-move users return to site,
confirm new location for comparison
to starting neighborhood

19. platform
• customizable search matrix and search filters, access to
detailed analytics and ‘grant report-ready’ aggregate
user data - including neighborhood choice stats
• MoveSmart.org: site hosting, domain management,
feature development and implementation, staff
training, technical assistance
• local partners: local guides, local data sets and search
matrix/filters, permissions, local sponsors and
advertisers, local real estate agent subscriptions (rates
set by MoveSmart.org)

20. platform costs
• initial start-up cost is $40,000: includes staff training, up to 15
local data sets plus all national data sets and APIs, and
implementation of all new features for 12 months
• funding sources: foundations, corporate sponsors, and/or
advertisers; 501(c)3 status and “related business income”
sponsor and ad-free:
with local sponsors: monthly fee based on level
negotiated percentage of of technical support,
annual income through site number of search matrix/
goes to MoveSmart.org w/ filter changes, and
majority going to local bandwidth requirements;
partner benefits of open source

21. funding
• pending inquiries, entries or proposals:
PRRAC, Benton Fdn, Sidewalk, Microsoft/
Gnomedex, MacArthur Fdn
• Knight Information Needs Challenge +
community foundation grant?
current funding: • issue-specific foundations for incorporating
$10k outright + $10k research/data sets into housing search?
challenge grant from
• technology and innovation funders?
Field Foundation of
Illinois • specifically-targeted ads and recognitions,
corporate sponsorships?

22. why MoveSmart.org?
★ an effective team:
• board: innovators, fair housing
advocates, academics, attorney,
housing counselors, publicist
• developers: experts on geo-
web, Drupal, non-profit roots
(CCRH)
• staff & volunteers: incredible
graphic designer, urban planning
bloggers, fair housing advocate,
technologists
• students: campusCatalyst
consultant team

23. why MoveSmart.org?
★ research-based approach
overcomes barriers of time and web savviness by aggregating
★ data in an intuitive interface
counters ignorance and prejudice with contextual info that builds
★ social capital
★ modular, cost effective, and self-sustaining program
disconnect product and service; investment without long-term
★ commitment
open source = affordable, license-free, volunteer-ready innovation
★ springboard
peer-vetted: NetSquared finalist, KnightPulse, ReadWriteWeb,
★ Change.org, fair housing community

24. technology for residential integration
100 N LaSalle St
Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60605
info@movesmart.org
phone: 312.436.1482