Know Your Neighborhood: Free Census Data Workshops

Learn how to leverage Census data to support neighborhood initiatives, grant opportunities and other data-mining activities with free online workshops.

Learn how to leverage Census data to support neighborhood initiatives, grant opportunities and other data-mining activities with three free online workshops led by Brian Berman, Data Dissemination Specialist with the Census Bureau. The informative and useful workshops are free and use the latest US Census data for our area and neighborhoods.

The Hayhurst and Hillsdale neighborhood associations are co-sponsoring the four-workshop series beginning on Wednesday, January 21, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm and continuing the third Wednesday of the month through April.

Advance registration is required, click here to register. The free workshops are open to all neighborhoods.

The classes are somewhat focused on the data for the sponsoring neighborhoods, but the basic information and tools apply to any neighborhood.

Topics to be covered in each one-hour workshop are:

January 21 at 6:30 pm: Census Tools for Grant Writing and Fundraising
Learn how to quickly create tables, graphs, and maps from census data from dozens of topics that can be pasted into grant and fundraising documents.

February 18 at 6:30 pm: Population and Migration Data Tools
How to most easily find the most recent population estimates as of July 2024, along with four data sources to view migration data.

March 18 at 6:30 pm: Census Tools for Emergency Planning and Response
Demonstrates how to access data on OnTheMap for Emergency Management, OnTheMap and maps on data.census.gov to help with response and planning.

These tools can be used not only for emergency planning, but to better understand commuting patterns and demographics.

April 15th: Census Business Builder
A training showing small businesses how to leverage the Census Bureau’s first cloud-based data tool combining economic, business, demographic and consumer spending data from nine different censuses and surveys. Learn how to build 2-variable maps and comprehensive reports showing job/wage/revenue data by industry.

SW 45th Avenue Paving Project Update

Portland Bureau of Transportation Project Manager Geren Shankar joined our December neighborhood meeting for an update on the SW 45th Avenue paving project from
SW Vermont Street north to SW Flower Place. Geren reported that the 60% design is being revised due to cost overruns. He will send us the updated plans when ready.

Geren thanked neighbors on SW Kanan Drive for walking the site with him. One of the neighbors posted a traffic mirror on SW 45th across from Kanan. Geren agreed 100% that there is poor visibility, and that southbound traffic flies over the hill from SW Cameron Road at high speeds. He said that the Portland Fire Bureau did not approve speed cushions on SW 45th as it is a main artery for emergency response vehicles. Geren added that he would provide updates.

The Neighborhood Association members plan to continue to advocate for traffic calming on SW 45th Avenue, Shattuck Road, Cameron and other neighborhood streets.