The North Texas Quality of Life Initiative
A Visionary Investment in the Data that Drives DFW
The North Texas Quality of Life Initiative is a multidimensional framework designed to deliver data and information critical to North Texas’ future growth. Informed by robust data collection and complex analytics, the Initiative will position North Texas as the destination for forward-thinking corporations while ensuring that all in the region realize an unparalleled quality of life.
About the North Texas Quality of Life Initiative
The William Short Annual Quality of Life Survey
The annual North Texas Quality of Life “Short” Survey will form the centerpiece of the Initiative and provide high-quality data that inform interested partners and community leaders of people’s demand for, supply of, and consumption of public service delivery and the impact of that delivery. One very important—indeed, vital—impact of public services involves people’s quality of life in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex—a region experiencing both enormous growth and considerable challenges. The Annual “Short” Survey will provide information indispensable to shaping public policy that drives positive growth.
Flash Pulse Surveys
In addition to the annual survey, the North Texas Quality of Life infrastructure can be used to produce regular, shorter surveys. Surveys can be released monthly or quarterly to get near-real-time feedback on issues of local, regional, and national policy importance. These may include reactions to public data events, such as the release of census or labor reports. Surveys could assess attitudes toward current policy issues before local or regional government agencies. Moreover, public reaction to pressing social issues like homelessness and public safety may help shape local policy. The platform would also facilitate tracking these issues over time should there be an interest.
Integrated Dashboard
The UT Dallas Institute for Urban Policy Research will compile survey results into web-based dashboards for quick visualization by the general public. Working with faculty and students from our Social Data Analytics and other programs, the Institute has developed tools to present complex data in a clear, easily understood manner.
Annual Quality of Life Report
The project team, working with graduate and undergraduate students, will produce an in-depth annual report detailing the quality of life in North Texas. In future years, the report will include analyses of change over time. This report will form the basis for annual communication campaigns and will be a featured element of the Dallas Urban Futures Summit.
Data Availability
After completing each survey wave, we will quickly release findings to the survey sponsors and on the survey website. Survey results will also be publicized in a timely manner in local print and electronic media. Depending on the topics it will also be possible to publicize results in major blogs. In addition, individual-level survey data will be archived after three months on the UT Dallas website and after six months with a major research repository. Survey data generated by question modules proposed by interested partners will be released on the website after four months. This will give these partners, including students and faculty, time to conduct analyses and submit results for publication in refereed journals and presentations at scholarly conferences.
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