PHILADELPHIA -- West Philadelphia Data and Information Resources, the University of Pennsylvania portal for information about the West Philadelphia area, has a newly restructured and upgraded Web site.  New design features provide access to in-depth census data and statistical profiles by geographic neighborhood boundaries, as well as geographic-information systems maps that download real-time aerial photos taken from satellites.  By incorporating publicly accessible information from the Census Bureau, municipal records and individual research, the Web site provides resources for information sharing, community building and economic development for researchers, community leaders and members of the public.

"This is a channel for information sharing, empowering community groups that will be able to post information to the site," said Cory Bowman, assistant director of Penn's Center for Community Partnerships.  

Community members and organizations will find information on urban studies, local volunteer and grant opportunities, a community calendar, reports and dissertations covering topics related to living and working in the West Philadelphia area.  

The Web site, http://westphillydata.library.upenn.edu, also includes census data on Southwest Philadelphia and a spotlight on 40th Street.  Requests to be added to the listserv can be sent to chua_yang_liang@yahoo.com.

The Web site was launched in 2000 by Sidney Wong, assistant professor of city and regional planning at Penn and project director of Information Resources in West Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Data Consortium.