Last week at an OpenAccessPHL event, Alex Dews of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability mentioned the forthcoming release of data visualizations for the department’s Year 2 Benchmarking Energy Report, previously released just as spreadsheets. Yesterday evening, MOS stuck to their word.
Built by local mapping firm Azavea, anyone can go in and play around with interactive charts and maps that visualize all kinds of data pertaining to the efficiency of the city’s commercial buildings. After all (TIL), buildings account for 62 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Philadelphia, according to the report.
See the maps
The energy report seems to have been released in concert with another city report highlighting Mayor Michael Nutter’s accomplishments over the last seven years (Philly Mag headline: “Under Nutter, Philly Became Awesome”).
If you like detailed, wonky, data-rich visualizations, there’s plenty to explore here.
Consider them a partial report card on the mayor’s 2008 plan to establish Philadelphia as America’s “Greenest City.” While it’s an honorific that’s nearly impossible to confirm as we near the end of Nutter’s second term, there are more than a few experts who believe it just might be true.