The PhillySiteFinder website is an online mapping system with an inventory of vacant and under-utilized commercial, and industrial sites in the Kensington, Richmond, Bridesburg, and Fishtown neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Client: Cartographic Modeling Lab, University of Pennsylvania

Challenge:  The Kensington, Richmond, Bridesburg, and Fishtown neighborhoods are home to a large number of vacant lots and unused or under-used buildings, remnants of the area’s industrial past.  The Philadelphia Department of Commerce, the University of Pennsylvania’s Cartographic Modeling Lab, and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council wanted to develop an online system to promote the redevelopment of this section of Philadelphia.

Solution: PhillySiteFinder was developed to increase access to information on developable land, promoting development in targeted neighborhoods.  It combines data from several City departments and a survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.  Visitors can search for parcels by defining criteria such as lot size, sale price, enterprise zone status, and availability or by entering a specific street address. The interactive map shows sites in relation to each other and allows users to search sites via the map.

Outcomes: PhillySiteFinder offers potential investors a place to learn more about parcel conditions, ownership, and availability for sale or lease.  By combining several data sources including the Board of Revision of Taxes, Philadelphia Department of Records, and the Environmental Protection Agency, PhillySiteFinder greatly simplifies the site selection process, cutting down the number of places a potential investor must look to get the information necessary for making a wise decision.  Site selection support is an increasingly important tool for promoting economic development in economically depressed areas, and PhillySiteFinder bolsters revitalization efforts in its target communities.

Website: http://cml.upenn.edu/sitefinder/