MUSA/Smart Cities Practicum

Project Description

The Master of Urban Spatial Analytics (MUSA) program at the University of Pennsylvania teaches at the intersection of data science & public policy. In the MUSA Practicum, students work with clients to develop data science tools that can help stakeholders better allocate their limited resources. The course is taught by Michael Fichman & Matthew Harris and was founded by the late Professor Ken Steif. Each project below includes a case study and source code that other cities can adopt for the purposes of replication.

Projects 2024

Charlotte, NC - A Data Framework to Correct Underperforming Transit Lines




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Watauga County, NC - A Planning Support Tool for Affordable and Workforce Housing Site Identification



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Urban Ocean - Zero-Waste Pilot Site-Selection in Urban Ocean Program Cities




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Houston, TX - A Vision-Zero Planning Information System



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Philadelphia, PA - Smart Loading Zones: Analysis and Demand Prediction



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Projects 2023

Maryland - Precision Forecasts of Land Cover Change



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El Paso, TX - Planning and Forecasting for Bus Transit Alternatives



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Philadelphia, PA - Evaluating and Forecasting for Bike Share Expansion



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Philadelphia, PA - SEPTA Bus System Debunched



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Philadelphia, PA - Predicting Housing Displacement



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Philadelphia, PA - Understanding and Forecasting the Community Impacts of Structure Fire


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Washington, DC - RATS: A Vermin Inspection Optimization Tool



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Projects 2022

Philadelphia, PA - Allocating Programming Resources Using A Mobility-Based Information System


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Colorado Springs, CO - A Mobility Decision Support System at Fort Carson Army Base



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Guilford County, NC - A Human Resources Turnover Risk Intelligence System



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Guilford County, NC - A Structure Fire Risk Model



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Philadelphia, PA - Assessment Tool for Adverse Possession - Eligible Side Lots



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El Paso, TX - Pavement Repair Prioritization System



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Projects 2021

New York, NY – Predicting Bikeshare Trips in New York City



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Philadelphia, PA - Fire Response Situational Awareness API



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Dallas, TX - Predicting the Experience of Homelessness



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Philadelphia, PA - After Hours: Studying Nightlife Mobility Patterns



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Philadelphia, PA - Tree Canopy Loss Model




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Projects 2020

Philadelphia, PA – Predicting Fire Risk



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Louisville, KY - Predicting Home Sale Prices



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Scooter Equity and Demand Analysis



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Baltimore, MD - Fleet Management



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Guilford Co., NC - Optimizing Social Worker Assignment


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Austin, TX - Bus Ridership Prediction



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Projects 2019

Louisville, KY – Predicting Fire Risk



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Philadelphia, PA - Predicting Illegal Rentals in Philadelphia


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Louisville, KY - WAZIEVILLE: Congestion Prediction Modeling


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Chicago, IL - Scoring AoT Data Reliability



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Guilford County, NC - Recidivism Prediction



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Syracuse, NY - Predicting Building Code Violations



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Projects 2018

Philadelphia, PA – Developing a foreclosure early warning system


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Philadelphia, PA – Quantifying bike share subsidy in low-income neighborhoods


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Louisville, Kentucky - Predicting vehicle crashes with built environment data


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Minneapolis, MN - Predicting household lead risk


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Providence, RI - Siting opioid clinics by predicting opioid overdose events
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