Welcome to Hack The Future! This is where theory meets practice. We introduce a case study of an urgent problem (or question) facing our society, and include publicly available data. For the next 60 days, our readers have the opportunity to propose a solution and make a recommendation based on their objective and thoughtful analysis of the situation. Solutions will be peer reviewed and posted on Your Life in Data for all to enjoy. Students are encouraged to participate!
Our case study this Spring is the question of whether the small town of Holliston, MA should approve the development of a massive warehouse and distribution facility. Although the tenant has not been named, based on the size of the facility many town members suspect that it is one of many warehouses being developed by Amazon across the US.
The project is commonly referred to by its address: 555 Hopping Brook. Local opposition has created a helpful Website to follow the project’s progress in Town Hall, including links to many of the studies submitted by the developer, CRG. Some examples include:
- A memo estimating the value of the project for tax purposes
- A study of traffic patterns and impacts of the new facility
- A study of sound potentially generated by the new facility
- A note of support from the Holliston Economic Development Committee
The benefits to Holliston are outlined in the note from the Holliston EDC, and include $1 million dollars of increased tax revenue. As a smaller town of approximately 14,000 residents, Holliston struggles to attract commercial development to support basic town infrastructure. However, the town is very concerned about the impacts of a large project on local resources and the environment.
For this case study, you are an advisor to the Town Selectmen recruited to answer the following questions:
- What is the actual return to Holliston from this project, if not the one million dollars annually estimated by the Economic Development Committee? Have all costs (environmental and financial) been considered and fairly estimated based on your extraordinary analytical skill and deep research?
- What arguments should be used to inform the public of whether you approve or disapprove of the project ? Of all the data, what is most convincing and how should it be presented to the public in a manner that protects objectivity (and re-election prospects for the Selectmen) while telling a story?
- Based on your answer to #1, and your understanding of the key measures for evaluating this project, are there guidelines that you recommend to help Holliston find (and approve) projects in the future?
In your answers to the questions above, please state where more data would be necessary or helpful to complete your analysis. Reasonable assumptions are very welcome. Sources must be exhaustively cited and attributed for inclusion in your response. Good data visualization is highly recommended…and might even be featured in The Wicked Viz!
Holliston is counting on you! And your research will help thousands of other small towns suddenly faced with the sprawling growth of our online economy. Good luck!