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MCIC Subscribers can access MCIC online research tools and information about the metropolitan Chicago region. Subscribers also receive periodic e-mail (about once a month) about new ideas, findings, reports, and invitations to seminars, workshops, and forums. MCIC online research tools include:

Metro Chicago Facts OnLine is a web-based resource that provides data and information for geographic areas you define. Use a map to identify standard or custom-defined boundaries within the 6-county metropolitan Chicago region and then apply a variety of information tools to produce reports and maps for your area of choice. Data sets include the 1990 - 2000 U.S. Census, the MCIC Community Vitality Index, and City of Chicago Building Permit data.

• Metro Chicago Facts OnLine (MCFOL) aggregates U.S. Census data into a community profile based on boundaries in the 6-county metropolitan Chicago region that you define. Metro Chicago Facts OnLine delivers immediate, custom data sets specific to your targeted area, including demographics and select social, economic, and housing characteristics. Use the information to illustrate local needs, design programs, and allocate resources for better proposals, planning, and decision-making.



• The MCIC Community Vitality Index (CVI) uses multi-dimensional indicators to quantify the relative potential of neighborhoods and geographic communities in the Chicago metropolitan region. The CVI is a percentile score (1-100) indexed at the census tract level for all tracts in the six-county Chicago metro region. CVI empowers users, from a policy and action perspective, by creating and comparing detailed neighborhood profiles and highlighting areas of opportunity to leverage community assets for positive change. The Community Vitality Index was made possible through the generous support of The Boeing Company.

MCIC members have access to data and interpretation not available to the general public. The Sara Lee Foundation is a major sponsor of Community Profiles OnLine.

MCIC Website. Cited by the Smithsonian Institution and Computer World for innovative use of technology, the MCIC web site houses a wealth of information and resources to help you stay abreast of new ideas and research findings in your area of interest. Access information about MCIC, including staff and areas of expertise; custom research, consulting, and mapping services; web-based information resources; member and subscriber services; and upcoming MCIC training sessions and seminars.

Maps. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology connects location-related data to maps, charts, and tables to create a powerful "picture" to inform program and planning decisions, or for public education and advocacy. To introduce you to this powerful spatial data analysis tool, new and renewing MCIC members may choose up to six of twelve maps highlighting regional patterns and trends, as documented by the 1990 - 2000 U.S. Census.

Publications & Reports. MCIC research sheds light on specific topics and issues of interest. Analysis of MCIC data has produced reports on topics as diverse as charitable giving and volunteering, the effects of crime on neighborhood perceptions, childcare utilization patterns, and globalization.

MCIC research papers raise public awareness of issues in the Chicago metropolitan area, inform industry stakeholders and public officials, and raise the level of public policy debate by fostering better-informed discussions.