# Philadelphia data atlas — research and implementation

Researched September 22–23, 2026. **Current area: Schuylkill–Delaware / Vine Street–Washington Avenue; see the latest expansion entry below.** The dated research sections retain their original counts. Original prototype area: Broad Street to the Schuylkill River, Market Street to South Street.

The site now has eight switchable atlas layers and a searchable source catalog. The discovery index contains **707 catalog entries**: 470 from [OpenDataPhilly](https://opendataphilly.org/data.json) and 237 from [DVRPC](https://catalog.dvrpc.org/). A **66-item ranked shortlist** adds federal and community sources and explains the likely overlay, effort, timing and limitations. These are catalog entries, not 707 distinct, verified, freely reusable map feeds; entries overlap and some cover other counties, archived applications or restricted products.

## Overnight addition — September 23, 2026

Three more layers are now implemented: **108 large-building energy reports for 2024**, **16 historic-street inventory polygons**, and **4 traffic-calming device records**. Energy colors show site EUI ranges (below 50, 50 to below 100, and 100 or more kBtu/ft²/year); missing values are gray, not zero. These owner-reported values are not directly comparable across building uses. Each point can represent a multi-building report.

The historic-street polygons are buffered source geometries. Their paving material was not reliably populated, so this layer does not label every historical street as cobblestone. Traffic-calming records supply locations and dates but not enough information for exact device models. Two queried playground records lie just outside the current study boundary and are reserved for a later expansion. The land-use service returned a full 2,000-record page without an overflow flag; its cached sample is not treated as a complete inventory. The reusable ArcGIS fetch path now enumerates IDs and verifies each geometry batch, and refuses unverified full cached pages.

Sources: [building energy](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/large-building-energy-benchmarking-data/), [historic streets](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/historic-streets/), [traffic calming](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/traffic-calming/), [playgrounds](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/ppr-playgrounds/).

The detailed ranking below records the original research pass; the downloadable JSON/CSV and in-app catalog contain the updated 66-item ranking and implementation status.

## Added to the world

| Layer | Features in this district | What it shows |
|---|---:|---|
| Public art | 9 | PPR sculpture/monument names, artists, installation dates and locations. |
| Bike network | 213 street segments | Separate colors for separated, painted and bus/bike lanes; dashed shared-lane markings. |
| Historic register | 2,251 address/outline features | Designation dates and district codes where present. 6,285 source records combined by matching address and geometry. |
| Stormwater systems | 40 footprints | PWD system footprints, installation years and original practice/lifecycle codes. |
| Water & libraries | 3 places | Two hydration stations and the Philadelphia City Institute library. |

These additions are inventory snapshots. They do not refresh automatically. SEPTA positions and Indego station inventories continue using their existing live polling. Every new feature has a source link, retrieval date and the source service edit date when available. A service edit timestamp does not establish when each asset was surveyed.

Historic and stormwater outlines are horizontal GIS overlays visible through the buildings. They do not reconstruct interiors, underground pipes, green-roof height or legal parcel boundaries. The bike lines follow the source street geometry rather than exact lane edges. Art is represented by labeled pins; no photographs or invented sculptures were substituted for real artwork.

## Best next steps

1. **River trail geometry and deck heights.** The local sample contains the Schuylkill River Trail and boardwalk. Model the elevated boardwalk before making it walkable; the existing terrain is bare earth. [City existing trails](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/existing-trails/).
2. **Historic-map year switch.** The city publishes georeferenced historic map services, making a past/present overlay more practical than manually registering scanned sheets. Keep historic dates and modern 3D buildings clearly separate. [Historic maps](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/historic-maps/).
3. **Transit routes, stops and service alerts.** Connect live vehicles to the current published network and add selected disruption information. [Routes and stops](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/septa-routes-stops-locations/), [SEPTA developer feeds](https://api.septa.org/).
4. **Recent permits and dated street closures.** Useful for understanding city change, with careful date/status filters; a permit does not prove active work. [Permits](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/licenses-and-inspections-building-and-zoning-permits/), [lane closures](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/street-lane-closures/).
5. **Building energy, land use and zoning.** High-value thematic overlays; use legends, reporting years, and unknown-value states instead of repainting the world indiscriminately. [Energy](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/large-building-energy-benchmarking-data/), [land use](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/land-use/), [zoning](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/zoning-base-districts/).

## Source families and access

| Source family | Useful contents | Access / interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| [OpenDataPhilly](https://opendataphilly.org/) and city ArcGIS/CARTO | Buildings, streets, infrastructure, parks, history, zoning, permits, public services | Metadata index downloaded in full. Implemented layers use public endpoints without keys and retain City terms links. Catalog presence alone is not an endpoint or license check. |
| [DVRPC](https://catalog.dvrpc.org/) | Regional transport, land use, open space, traffic and pedestrian/bicycle counts | Full 237-entry metadata index retrieved. Dataset-specific licenses and limitations retained; some third-party data are restricted. Regional coverage often extends beyond the prototype. |
| [PASDA](https://www.pasda.psu.edu/) | Aerial photography, lidar, elevation, PA hydrology/roads and historic aerials | Provider-specific metadata and survey years. We already use city imagery and model data. Point-cloud processing is comparatively expensive. |
| [Census](https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets.html) | Population, housing, commuting, socioeconomic statistics | Use matching tract/block-group boundary vintages and preserve uncertainty. Not measurements of individuals or individual buildings. |
| [USGS Water Data](https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/) | River gauge height, flow and monitoring stations | Modern APIs, timestamped/provisional measurements, station-specific units and datum. A nearby sensor is not a sensor on every block. |
| [NOAA/NWS](https://www.weather.gov/documentation/services-web-api) | Observations, forecast grids and weather alerts | Public documented API with request identification and caching; observations and forecasts must be labeled separately. |
| [EPA AirData](https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data) and city AMS | Monitors, air-quality time series and latest readings | Historical/recent datasets and live-oriented feeds differ. API access requirements vary; pollutant units and QA matter. |
| [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) | Amenities, entrances, paths, access tags and shops | ODbL attribution/database obligations and service limits; community completeness varies. |
| [Overture](https://docs.overturemaps.org/attribution/) | Places, transportation, buildings | Versioned releases; licenses vary by theme and contributing sources. Preserve provenance. |
| [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Licensing) / [Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia) | Landmarks, architecture facts, photographs | Structured Wikidata is CC0. Images require file-by-file author/license review and are not automatically facade textures. |

## What the search did and did not establish

- Retrieved the complete current public OpenDataPhilly and DVRPC catalog metadata indexes; kept titles, provider, subject, formats, license/source links and resource URLs. No provider contact lists were copied into the site.
- Inspected city ArcGIS service metadata and fetched bounded samples for art, bicycle facilities, historic properties, stormwater installations/projects, fountains, libraries and trails. Prepared only the five selected overlays.
- Historic ArcGIS spatial queries timed out/failed. The catalog-linked CARTO mirror returned usable geometry. The displayed history layer does not borrow the ArcGIS service’s newer edit timestamp for the CARTO data.
- The historic source contained many duplicate property/address geometries. Exact normalized geometry and address matches are combined; source record IDs and differing facts remain traceable.
- GSI numeric practice codes were not decoded because the published fields and inspected PASDA metadata did not provide a verified code-to-label mapping. Original codes remain visible rather than guessing that every footprint is a garden or green roof.
- This is a broad discovery inventory, not an exhaustive census of everything available about Philadelphia. Public portal catalogs contain stale links, duplicates, nonspatial records, paid/restricted applications and regional records; those are marked as discovery entries.
- No new API key, paid data subscription, paid map service or account signup was needed for these additions. Hosting is the existing site; this does not make a claim about its account billing.
- The ranked effort labels are qualitative engineering judgments. Actual time/token usage for future work depends heavily on geometry quality, joins, preprocessing, update semantics and rights. A source list cannot provide a reliable fixed token quote.

## Ranked source shortlist

Effort refers to integration effort relative to this prototype, not a fee or guaranteed duration. The first six sources supply the five layers added in this update; later entries remain candidates unless marked otherwise.

### 1. Bike Network

**Added · Small effort · Inventory; updates as needed**

Color street segments by separated, painted, bus/bike and shared lanes.

213 clipped segments. Geometry follows street segments, not exact lane edges. No live closure information.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/bike-network/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 2. PPR public art and monuments

**Added · Small effort · Inventory snapshot**

Locate named sculptures and identify their artists.

9 artworks in this district. Partial collection; no copyrighted artwork photos or invented sculpture models were added.

[Source and access details](https://services.arcgis.com/fLeGjb7u4uXqeF9q/ArcGIS/rest/services/PPR_Art_Monuments_point/FeatureServer/0). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 3. Philadelphia Registered Historic Properties

**Added · Small–medium effort · Register inventory; catalog description cites July 2017**

Explore historic properties and designation dates.

2,251 address/outline features after combining 6,285 overlapping source records. CARTO mirror used because ArcGIS bounded query failed. Confirm legal status with the Historical Commission.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/philadelphia-registered-historic-properties/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 4. Stormwater Management Practice Polygons

**Added · Small effort · Inventory snapshot**

Reveal the normally hidden water-management systems beneath and around buildings.

40 footprints. These may be private, buried or on roofs. Numeric practice/lifecycle codes remain source codes; no unsupported type meanings inferred.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/pwd-stormwater-management-practice-polygons/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 5. PPR Hydration Stations

**Added · Small effort · Inventory snapshot**

Find drinking-water facilities along the river.

2 stations. No operating-hours, seasonal-shutdown or live water-supply status.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/ppr-hydration-stations/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 6. Free Library locations

**Added · Small effort · Inventory snapshot**

Name the local branch and link directly to its official page.

1 library in scope; opening hours are on the official linked branch page.

[Source and access details](https://services.arcgis.com/fLeGjb7u4uXqeF9q/ArcGIS/rest/services/library_locations/FeatureServer/0). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 7. Existing Trails

**Candidate · Small effort · Inventory snapshot**

Add river-trail alignments and surface materials alongside bike streets.

Local query found the Schuylkill River Trail and boardwalk. Bridge/deck elevation still needs modeling; do not drape a boardwalk to bare earth.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/existing-trails/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 8. Philadelphia Historic Maps

**Candidate · Medium effort · Dated map editions**

Add a year switch between historic maps and today’s aerial imagery.

Already-georeferenced services reduce effort. Map age, alignment error and modern 3D buildings must be visible to users.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/historic-maps/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 9. SEPTA Routes, Stops, and Locations

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Published network snapshot**

Give live vehicles route context and mark boarding locations.

Pair route IDs with the current GTFS release. Stops do not guarantee current service.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/septa-routes-stops-locations/). Reuse: [published terms](https://opendataphilly.org/licenses/other).

### 10. Licenses and Inspections Building and Zoning Permits

**Candidate · Medium effort · Administrative records; refresh daily after verification**

Show recent building changes with date and permit category filters.

A permit is not proof of active construction. Use dates and categories, omit applicant/contact details.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/licenses-and-inspections-building-and-zoning-permits/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 11. Street Lane Closures

**Candidate · Medium effort · Time-windowed permits / records**

Overlay dated street obstructions and filter to their reported active interval.

Need to verify actual current statuses and expiration semantics; permitted closures are not measured traffic conditions.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/street-lane-closures/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 12. Large Building Energy Benchmarking Data

**Candidate · Medium effort · Annual; catalog includes 2024**

Color large buildings by energy intensity or emissions for a selected reporting year.

Join carefully to footprints; missing or unreported values must remain unknown. Building use and size affect comparisons.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/large-building-energy-benchmarking-data/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 13. Zoning Base Districts

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Administrative snapshot**

Color parcels by zoning category with a concise legend.

Zoning controls permitted uses; it does not describe actual current use. Keep separate from land use.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/zoning-base-districts/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 14. Land Use

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Survey inventory**

Show the mix of housing, offices, shops and open space.

Check survey vintage and land-use codes. Avoid treating old categories as current business occupancy.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/land-use/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 15. PPR Tree Canopy

**Candidate · Medium effort · Dated imagery classification**

Show measured canopy extent in addition to the existing tree points.

Canopy imagery year differs from tree inventory. Helps shade context, but does not establish actual hourly shade.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/ppr-tree-canopy/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 16. Heat Vulnerability by Census Tract

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Census-tract index snapshot**

Explore differences in neighborhood vulnerability to heat.

This is an area-level vulnerability index, not a live temperature measurement or individual risk score.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/heat-vulnerability-by-census-tract/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 17. Impervious Surfaces

**Candidate · Medium effort · Dated surface classification**

Distinguish roofs and paved surfaces for an urban-water view.

Validate source resolution and date before comparing with 2025 imagery.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/impervious-surfaces/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 18. Green Stormwater Infrastructure Public Projects

**Candidate · Small effort · Project records**

Show planned versus completed water projects.

The bounded sample had two street projects near, but outside, most of our district and zero point projects. Better for an expanded map.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/pwd-green-stormwater-infrastructure-public-projects/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 19. Registered Community Gardens

**Candidate · Small effort · Inventory**

Locate gardens and identify their published names.

Registration does not guarantee public access or a complete list of gardens.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/registered-community-gardens/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 20. PPR Playgrounds

**Candidate · Small effort · Inventory**

Add recognizable recreation destinations.

Current condition, opening hours and accessibility require separate verification.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/ppr-playgrounds/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 21. PPR Swimming Pools

**Candidate · Small effort · Facility inventory**

Mark public pool facilities.

Seasonal opening status is separate from location data; likely more useful outside this district.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/ppr-swimming-pools/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 22. Free Wi-Fi Locations

**Candidate · Small effort · Inventory**

Locate published public connectivity sites.

No live uptime or signal coverage. Check age of inventory before recommending a location.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/free-wifi/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 23. City Facilities (Master Facilities Database)

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Facility inventory**

Add libraries, recreation centers and civic destinations using one consistent inventory.

Deduplicate against the individual library/park layers; facility presence does not imply public entry.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/city-facilities-master-facilities-database/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 24. Schools

**Candidate · Small effort · Inventory**

Add school buildings and labels.

Use public institution information; no student-level records.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/schools/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 25. Health Centers

**Candidate · Small effort · Facility inventory**

Locate public health services with links to official information.

Location is not availability or eligibility; do not include patient records.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/health-centers/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 26. Neighborhood Food Retail

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Survey inventory**

Add food-store destinations and basic categories.

Retail turnover can make locations stale. Verify vintage and avoid implying that shops are open now.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/neighborhood-food-retail/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 27. 311 Service and Information Requests

**Candidate · Medium effort · Administrative events**

Show recent issue categories as dated points or block aggregates.

Reporting patterns are not incidence rates. Omit free text, names and contact fields; dates and closed status matter.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/311-service-and-information-requests/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 28. Vision Zero High Injury Network

**Candidate · Small effort · Derived historical network**

Highlight corridors prioritized for road-safety work.

Not a live danger prediction. Keep the analysis period and source methodology visible.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/vision-zero-high-injury-network/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 29. Philadelphia Crash Points

**Candidate · Medium effort · Historical events**

Add a year-filtered crash-history layer or aggregated hotspots.

Use aggregate summaries and clear time windows; record counts do not measure exposure.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/philadelphia-crash-points/). Reuse: [published terms](https://opendataphilly.org/licenses/other).

### 30. Traffic Calming Devices

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Inventory**

Add speed tables, humps and other reported street changes.

Field schemas and local coverage still need validation; exact 3D placement may require curb/road matching.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/traffic-calming/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 31. Intersection Controls

**Available locally · Medium effort · Inventory**

Model recorded traffic-control locations already downloaded with the city details.

198 records are already in our data but not rendered. Signal phase/timing is not live.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/intersection-controls/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 32. Paving Plan

**Candidate · Small effort · Planned work**

Show resurfacing plans by fiscal year.

Planned work can move or be canceled; separate from completed surfaces.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/paving-plan/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 33. Rain Gauges

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Station inventory**

Locate rainfall sensors, then connect measurements if a usable feed exists.

The location layer alone is not a rainfall time series.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/pwd-rain-gauges/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 34. Stormwater Outfalls

**Candidate · Small effort · Infrastructure inventory**

Map where drainage reaches waterways.

An outfall location does not mean a discharge is occurring. Do not imply live water quality.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/pwd-stormwater-outfalls/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 35. Historic Streams

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Historical interpretation**

Reveal buried and former stream alignments beneath the city.

A strong exploratory overlay; do not depict these as currently flowing open channels.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/historic-streams/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 36. FEMA Flood Plain

**Candidate · Medium effort · Regulatory map editions**

Add mapped flood-hazard areas near the river.

Hazard zones are not live flooding or parcel-level insurance advice. Record panel/effective dates.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/fema-flood-plain/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 37. Philadelphia Registered Historic Districts

**Candidate · Small effort · Register inventory**

Show named historic districts behind the individual-property layer.

Large polygons need a subdued style; status needs the same date caveat as properties.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/philadelphia-registered-historic-districts/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 38. Polling Places

**Candidate · Small effort · Election-specific inventory**

Add public election locations for a selected election.

Verify the intended election date; this map must not imply that an old location is current.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/polling-places/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 39. Political Wards

**Candidate · Small effort · Boundary snapshot**

Overlay wards and divisions for civic geography.

Use the correct boundary vintage; ward and legislative district names are different geographies.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/political-wards/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 40. Philadelphia Neighborhoods

**Candidate · Small effort · Interpretive boundaries**

Add useful neighborhood labels and boundaries.

Neighborhood definitions differ among providers and are not all official/legal boundaries.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/philadelphia-neighborhoods/). Reuse: [published terms](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

### 41. Sanitation Collection Day Boundary

**Candidate · Small effort · Administrative schedule**

Show regular collection days as a practical neighborhood layer.

Holiday changes and special collections are separate; do not infer a live truck location.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/sanitation-collection-day-boundary/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 42. 2015 Parking Meter & Kiosk Inventory

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · 2015 inventory in catalog**

Reconstruct more street furniture from recorded meter/kiosk points.

Old vintage reduces confidence. Parking occupancy is not supplied.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/parking-meter-kiosk-inventory/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 43. Residential Parking Permit Blocks

**Candidate · Small effort · Administrative street rules**

Show streets within parking-permit programs.

Rules and temporary signs can change; keep this contextual, not parking advice.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/residential-parking-permit-blocks/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 44. Vacant Property Indicators Percentage by Block

**Candidate · Medium effort · Derived administrative indicators**

Show vacancy indicators at block scale.

An indicator is not a confirmed vacant dwelling. Prefer block aggregation over labeling residents or individual homes.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/vacant-property-indicators-percentage-by-block/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 45. Department of Records Property Parcels

**Candidate · Medium effort · Administrative parcel inventory**

Add parcel boundaries and connect building records.

Geometry is not a survey. Owner names and financial/contact details are unnecessary for this experiment.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/department-of-records-property-parcels/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 46. Philadelphia Properties and Assessment History

**Partly present · Medium effort · Assessment snapshots**

Improve building age/use metadata and neighborhood architecture views.

Some building-story fields are already used. Missing or inconsistent values should remain unknown.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/philadelphia-properties-and-assessment-history/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 47. Aerial Photography (imagery)

**Partly present · Medium–large effort · Dated photography**

Add a historical imagery slider or expand higher-resolution coverage.

2025 imagery is already displayed. Older imagery and roof displacement need explicit dates.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/aerial-photography/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 48. LiDAR-LAS data

**Candidate · Large effort · Survey campaigns**

Derive more accurate building forms and terrain from point clouds.

Download/processing and mesh simplification are substantial; textures are not supplied by lidar.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/lidar-las-data/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 49. Topographic Contours

**Partly present · Small–medium effort · Survey-derived**

Expose a terrain/contour view for the river slope.

Ground elevations are already used. A contour display is a thematic overlay rather than a replacement for 3DEP.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/topographic-contours/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 50. AMS Latest Air Quality Sensor Readings

**Candidate · Medium effort · Latest sensor readings**

Show dated readings at actual monitoring stations.

Check timestamp, pollutant units and sensor QA. Sparse stations cannot establish block-by-block air quality.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/ams-latest-air-quality-sensor-readings/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 51. SEPTA Alerts

**Candidate · Medium effort · Operational updates**

Attach service disruptions to the existing transit layer.

Requires route/stop matching and stale-alert handling; alert existence is not a vehicle location.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/septa-alerts/). Reuse: [published terms](https://opendataphilly.org/licenses/other).

### 52. SEPTA Elevator Outages

**Candidate · Medium effort · Operational updates**

Identify reported outages near accessible transit entrances.

Need matching station/entrance geography; absence of an alert is not an accessibility guarantee.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/septa-elevator-outages/). Reuse: [published terms](https://opendataphilly.org/licenses/other).

### 53. DVRPC regional catalog and travel counts

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Varies; count records have individual dates**

Extend into traffic counts, trails, protected land, land use and regional planning.

237 catalog entries indexed. Counts often represent sampled periods, not live traffic. Some third-party datasets have restrictive licenses.

[Source and access details](https://catalog.dvrpc.org/). Reuse: Per dataset; preserved in catalog.

### 54. Census / ACS and TIGER geography

**Candidate · Medium effort · Annual ACS / decennial census releases**

Map population, housing, commuting and other area statistics with matching boundaries.

Join tract/block-group GEOIDs to the matching boundary year; retain margins of error. Never assign neighborhood averages to individual residents.

[Source and access details](https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets.html). Reuse: U.S. federal statistical data; check dataset terms.

### 55. Schuylkill river measurements

**Candidate · Medium effort · Near-real-time, timestamped observations**

Show river gauge height and streamflow at real station locations.

Stations may sit outside this prototype. Use modern Water Data APIs; check units, datum, provisional flags, latency and rate limits.

[Source and access details](https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/). Reuse: U.S. federal data; retain attribution.

### 56. Weather observations, forecasts and alerts

**Candidate · Medium effort · Operational observations / forecasts**

Synchronize the atmosphere or add a weather panel with observation times.

Weather station observations and forecast grids are different. Do not fabricate street-scale weather. API identification and caching are required.

[Source and access details](https://www.weather.gov/documentation/services-web-api). Reuse: Open government data per NWS API documentation.

### 57. EPA AirData / AirNow

**Candidate · Medium effort · Historical and recent measurements; AirNow for current**

Add historical monitor observations; evaluate AirNow separately for current conditions.

Download files are available; API access requirements vary. Monitor coverage is sparse and quality/units matter.

[Source and access details](https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data). Reuse: Federal data; review API terms and third-party feeds.

### 58. OpenStreetMap amenities and paths

**Candidate · Medium effort · Continuously edited community map**

Fill gaps in entrances, shops, benches, crossings, steps and access tags.

Quality and completeness vary. Download a bounded extract and respect service usage limits; maintain ODbL attribution and applicable database obligations.

[Source and access details](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Reuse: ODbL 1.0.

### 59. Overture places, buildings and transportation

**Candidate · Medium effort · Versioned releases**

Compare named places and building coverage with local authoritative layers.

Licenses vary by theme and contributing source. Retain release and source metadata; do not treat all themes as a single permissive license.

[Source and access details](https://docs.overturemaps.org/attribution/). Reuse: Theme-dependent CDLA / ODbL / other source obligations.

### 60. Wikidata landmarks and architecture

**Candidate · Small–medium effort · Community-maintained records**

Add landmark names, architects, dates and links to public knowledge records.

Coordinates and dates need cross-checks. Structured data is CC0; linked articles and images have separate licenses.

[Source and access details](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Licensing). Reuse: CC0 for structured data.

### 61. Wikimedia Commons landmark photographs

**Candidate · Medium–large effort · Individual photograph dates**

Add licensed photo cards for landmark comparison and selected facade references.

Each file has its own author/license/attribution requirements. A photo is not automatically a seamless facade texture.

[Source and access details](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia). Reuse: Per file; e.g. public domain, CC BY, CC BY-SA.

### 62. PASDA Pennsylvania geospatial archive

**Candidate · Medium–large effort · Varies by dataset and survey**

Find more imagery campaigns, lidar, state roads, hydrology and historic aerials.

Public access is not one blanket license. Check provider metadata, coordinate units, vertical datum and actual local coverage.

[Source and access details](https://www.pasda.psu.edu/). Reuse: Per provider/dataset.

### 63. Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network

**Candidate · Medium effort · Historic map editions**

Add georeferenced historic maps and neighborhood time travel.

Review reuse terms for each collection and existing tile service. Scans and maps may need separate georeferencing.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/greater-philadelphia-geohistory-network/). Reuse: [published terms](https://opendataphilly.org/licenses/other).

### 64. PhillyHistory.org

**Rights/access review · Medium–large effort · Archive photographs**

Attach then-and-now photographs to places.

Public browsing is available; image reproduction rights and service/API access must be checked before copying media.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/phillyhistoryorg/). Reuse: [published terms](https://metadata.phila.gov/#help/help-faqs/what-are-the-terms-of-use/).

### 65. Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net

**Rights/access review · Small–medium effort · Hobbyist catalog; frequent unscheduled updates**

Expand beyond the city sculpture inventory into a richer public-art guide.

The API expressly discourages commercial applications and applies copyright to data/images. Treat as a linked reference until reuse terms fit the intended project.

[Source and access details](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/philadelphia-public-art-philartnet/). Reuse: [published terms](https://opendataphilly.org/licenses/other).

## Reproducibility and validation

Preparation: `scripts/prepare-atlas.py` retrieves public feeds, clips to the actual study polygon, preserves polygon holes, combines duplicate historic records and writes an attributed static snapshot. `--refresh` re-fetches sources; cached downloads are excluded from source control. `research/curate-catalog.py` builds the searchable index from cached public metadata and the editorial shortlist. The JSON and CSV exports accompany these notes.

Validation checks actual GIS geometry and scope, record/source uniqueness, historical deduplication counts, bike facility categories, catalog totals, real Three.js scene construction, finite geometry/instance transforms, navigation and existing live-feed behavior. These checks do not include GPU rendering or browser interaction testing.


## Overnight update: 1910 historic map

Added the [City’s 1910 Bromley atlas](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/historic-maps/) as a separate dated view. Greater Philadelphia Geohistory Network created the georeferenced raster; the City hosts it with permission and catalogs it for public use under City terms. The app mosaics 294 public tiles over the imagery extent and inverse-projects them into its coordinate grid. Original sheet seams and alignment errors remain. Modern buildings, vehicles and atlas overlays are hidden in this view, and restored when returning to today. This is not a historical 3D reconstruction. The scan loads only on request: about 4.3 MB desktop or 1.2 MB mobile. Current scene and feed choices are preserved.

The ranked catalog now marks ten sources as added across eight inventory layers plus the historic-map view. The next overnight priority is visual realism, then a cautious adjacent expansion.


## Overnight update: illustrative facade and vegetation detail

Existing assessment records now guide three facade families: brick, stone-like masonry and glazed towers. Recorded use, build year and story count influence the choice and spacing; exact materials, windows, colors, doors, storefronts, blinds and lighting remain illustrative. Shallow roof edges follow low-rise footprint geometry; the seven matched 2015 model groups keep their original roof geometry. No private attributes or additional imagery are needed.

Recorded tree genera guide rounded, upright, spreading or vase-like crowns, with layered evergreen silhouettes. Branches and crown forms are illustrative, and existing trunk-diameter-based size estimates are retained. Detailed clusters are limited to 280 nearby trees on desktop and 140 on touch devices, with simpler distant crowns. The real-time feeds and historic comparison are preserved.


## Overnight update: first boundary extension

The model now reaches Bainbridge Street, one block south of the original South Street boundary, while retaining Broad Street, Market Street and the Schuylkill edge. The addition is approximately 0.165 km² (11%): 866 building/structure footprints, 429 recorded trees, 196 light poles, one transit shelter and five bins. Existing terrain and both imagery editions cover the full extension. All original footprint geometries/heights and seven matched 2015 landmark groups are preserved.

Current total: 4,911 footprints, 3,952 trees, 1,821 poles, 31 shelters, 86 bins and 3,474 footprints with usable story counts. Atlas totals are 9 artworks, 225 bike segments, 2,263 historic address/outlines (6,297 raw records), 46 stormwater footprints, 3 amenities, 111 energy reports, 16 historic-street polygons and 4 traffic-calming records. Earlier counts in this research narrative describe the original district.

The preparation pipeline now shares an explicit study-area configuration, keys atlas caches by query extent, checks complete official record sets, reapplies building attributes and validates coverage before publication. Cached inventories remain dated snapshots; complete IDs do not imply current physical conditions. Source links and limitations remain attached to each layer.


## September 23 addition: SEPTA stops and entrances

Added a ninth atlas layer with 134 records: 123 bus stops, six metro boarding points, and five station entrances. Source: SEPTA’s official [v202609061 GTFS release](https://github.com/septadev/GTFS/releases/tag/v202609061), published September 11 and retrieved September 23. Bus/metro feed dates are September 6, 2026–February 20, 2027. No Regional Rail stop coordinates fall inside the exact model polygon; live vehicles still use the wider corridor.

Stop IDs and geographic coordinates are preserved. Published route names and directions are searchable. Entrances inherit the parent station’s route list and are explicitly distinct from boarding points. Internal station nodes are excluded. This layer does not provide live arrivals, elevator status, platform heights or a guarantee of service at the current time.

The 21.7 MB source archive’s published SHA-256 was verified. Both full stop tables were inspected; standard stop_times/trips/routes joins validated 2,134,821 scheduled stop references. The nonstandard route_stops file retains dangling stop IDs in this release, so it was not used. Source archives remain offline; only the bounded derived data is included in the site. [SEPTA terms](https://www3.septa.org/developer/) apply. The catalog now has 11 added sources across nine inventory layers and the 1910 map.


## Source-date interpretation

The atlas now labels snapshot preparation, known download dates and provider updates separately. Preparing a new copy from cached records is not a new download or evidence of current on-the-ground conditions. Older City/CARTO cache files lack download timestamps, so those dates are shown as unrecorded rather than inferred from file modification times. New downloads record their time explicitly. SEPTA’s existing download date is preserved when only release metadata is checked. All 2,811 inventory records and geometries are unchanged by this correction.


## Building records and underground research — September 23 follow-up

The Buildings tab now connects 4,394 footprints to 10,228 spatially matched OPA accounts, retaining separate unit choices. It queries assessment history, permits, violations, certificates/decisions, legacy and modern zoning scans, and recorded real-estate document links on demand. Queries are bounded and source failures remain visible. Account/address/registry joins can miss historical aliases or other parcels; this is available indexed history, not every document about a building. PDFs stay on the City/source servers. See [City Atlas](https://atlas.phila.gov/), [OPA property lookup](https://property.phila.gov/), and the [City records-copy service](https://www.phila.gov/services/permits-violations-licenses/get-a-copy-of-a-license-permit-or-violation/).

Underground research verified 939 surface inlets, 24 historical stream segments, 15 sewersheds, three outfalls and seven transit alignments intersecting the district. These are candidates, not implemented underground geometry. None of the verified line layers supplies measured depth. [PWD infrastructure-location guidance](https://water.phila.gov/development/faq/) directs requests through Pennsylvania One Call. No complete reusable public sewer/telecom network was verified. Useful next overlays are historical waterways, surface inlets and drainage areas, followed by a clearly labeled transit schematic.


## Washington Avenue expansion — September 23

Coverage now reaches Washington Avenue, adding approximately 1.42 km² and 4,575 footprints. Total: 9,486 footprints, 6,388 trees, 2,764 poles, 32 shelters, 98 bins and 347 intersection records. All previous footprint geometries/heights remain. The street’s western endpoint is extended to the mapped riverbank as an approximate study limit.

All nine atlas layers were rebuilt for the new boundary: 9 artworks, 303 bike segments, 2,642 historic features (7,409 source records), 90 stormwater footprints, 7 amenities (3 playgrounds, 3 hydration stations, 1 library), 118 energy reports, 16 historic streets, 10 traffic-calming records and 194 transit stops/entrances. Building dossiers now cover 8,516 spatially matched footprints and 15,080 account choices.

Forty-two aerial detail tiles were added without changing the original 24. The 2025 and 1910 maps, USGS terrain, live transit relay and bike-station inclusion all cover the extension. Source-date and inventory limitations still apply; this extension does not turn dated public records into real-time observations.


## Vine Street expansion · September 23, 2026

The northern boundary now follows the northern Vine Street carriageway, extended approximately west from its recorded endpoint to the Schuylkill shoreline. Broad Street and Washington Avenue remain the eastern and southern edges; the prior study area is retained. The addition is about 0.890 km² (29%), with 586 building footprints. All 9,486 prior footprint geometries/heights, seven prior landmark geometries and 66 existing aerial detail tiles are preserved.

The expanded district contains 10,072 footprints, 61 matched landmark groups from the City’s 2015 model, 7849 recorded trees and 3725 light poles. New source coverage includes 22 high-resolution 2025 aerial tiles, extended 1910 historical imagery and USGS terrain, street names/curbs, 28 public-art records, 257 transit stops, 331 parking features, and 16,290 OPA accounts matched to 8,967 footprints. Incident query coverage extends to latitude 39.962; the existing transit and bike relay envelope already covers the addition.

Source ID sets, clipped geometries, raster coverage and retained data are checked in the GIS validation scripts. New and existing geometry share the original local origin so the approved neighborhood photographs stay registered. This remains a dated-data experiment; approximate boundary connectors, imagery seams, illustrative facades and source-year differences remain. See `study-area.json` and `expansion-provenance.json` for exact source IDs and checks.


## Delaware River expansion · September 23, 2026

The map now runs river to river, with Vine Street and Washington Avenue as the north/south limits. The eastern addition is 5.03 km²; the complete area is 9.00 km². The boundary follows City street centerlines and the recorded Delaware hydrology edge, with documented short connectors at inventory gaps and approximate extensions to the river. Piers follow this dated source, which may omit newer changes. These are study limits, not legal boundaries.

All 10,072 earlier footprints and heights, 61 landmark groups and 88 aerial detail tiles are retained. The expanded snapshot contains 21,494 footprints, 144 compatible 2015 City landmark groups, 16,246 trees, 8,377 poles, 111 shelters and 350 bins. It includes 34 public-art records, 6,393 combined historic properties, 629 bike-network records, 549 transit stops and 663 parking features. Verified, paginated assessment records supply 32,003 accounts with unique spatial matches to 18,399 footprints; ambiguous matches remain excluded. The live transit, Indego and incident envelopes are now −75.208/39.931 to −75.128/39.962. Police complaint filters reflect the official districts returned for that envelope, including areas outside the modeled district.

The 2025 aerial grid now has 162 detailed tiles; the historical 1910 map and USGS terrain also extend east. The local coordinate origin remains unchanged, preserving photo registration. Source provenance, tile hashes, retained geometry checks and expansion history are in `study-area.json`, `expansion-provenance.json` and the per-source manifests.

To bound rendering cost, the browser starts with a simplified building skyline and streams nearby full-detail blocks with fixed memory/request limits. Full recorded geometry remains available in the source assets; distant silhouettes are simplified and illustrative. Terrain and tree geometry use distance-dependent detail, with full terrain edge vertices retained to avoid seams. Buildings outside the study boundary may appear only in aerial imagery; bridge decks, tunnels and building interiors remain unmodeled.