A Growing Web of Information

Because the decisions we make affect the future of everyone who lives and works in the Delaware Valley, DVRPC utilizes established and evolving media to keep the public informed about issues that may concern them. In keeping with this goal, we continue to develop and expand our website, at www.dvrpc.org.

DVRPC's Regional Information Network (RIN) focuses on the dissemination of information through the website. Internet users can find a diversity of facts on our homepage, such as requests for proposals (RFP's), data bulletins, abstracts of recent DVRPC publications, a meeting calendar, citizen involvement opportunities, job vacancy announcements and special features including the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and TravelSmart. Additional plans call for a user-friendly database access, and on-line ordering and payment for publications, maps and aerial photographs.

The most exciting and innovative feature on our website is an interactive on-line mapping program that utilizes the Geographical Information System (GIS). GIS is a data management system that links computers, people and data in order to display graphically what used to be seen in table form. With GIS, geography can be analyzed individually or in relationship to other data sources.

DVRPC developed its on-line mapping site in response to requests for regional information from the public. With the installation of ArcView 3.0 and ArcView Internet Map Server, visitors to the DVRPC website can select from a variety of queries to view thematic maps. This growing application is the subject of constant change as new themes and software customization are added to improve function. Training in ArcView applications was offered by DVRPC to member governments and affiliated agencies, and proved very successful with more than 80 staff professionals from 20 organizations taking part in the classes.

Overall, in the seven years since the 1990 Census, the nine counties of the Delaware Valley have added over 89,000 residents, an increase of 1.7 percent, from 5.2 to 5.3 million. The number of households in our region increased to over 1.9 million, a gain of 43,600. Over the same period the region gained over 60,000 jobs, rising 2.2 percent. Despite these gains, there continues to be a shift within the region from the City of Philadelphia to the surrounding suburbs. For example, during this period the population in Bucks and Chester counties grew over 8 percent and 11 percent respectively, but the City of Philadelphia lost 5.5 percent of its population, or 90,000 people. Household and employment trends are similar.

The 1997 estimates of population, households and employment are being used in current planning and serve as the baseline to calculate travel patterns and usage and to prepare future updates of DVRPC's long-range forecast of population and employment in the region.