Emily Barrett is seeking a skilled and creative Digital Mapmaker/Web Developer to collaborate on the creation of a public website and interactive mapping platform. This platform will visualize complex municipal budget data for Nashville, TN, focusing on the spatial flow of public resources—from tax collection to public investments in urban infrastructure. This platform is intended to empower community organizers and residents to advocate for more equitable budget priorities. This is a contract position with a project-based fee, with all work expected to be completed before September 2025.
Project Details:
- Data: The platform will visualize the spatial flow of public resources. There are three data sources: 1) Property taxes collected, 2) Public spending allocations, and 3) Neighborhood demographics. The data are primarily formatted as CSV and GeoJSON files and will be updated annually. The data are cleaned and formatted, but some data processing and integration may be required. Further details about the specific data fields and structure will be shared with shortlisted candidates.
- Scope of the Map: The map will cover Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee.
- Desired Functionality: Users should be able to:
- Visualize budget data on a map, showing taxes and spending by council districts.
- Overlay demographic data of council districts alongside budget data.
- Filter budget data by defined categories (e.g., department, tax district, funding source).
- Compare budget allocations across different fiscal years, and by budgeted vs. actual spending amounts.
- View interactive charts, graphs, and text summaries of budget data.
- Download reports of filtered data in CSV format.
- Technical Requirements: The platform must be responsive across different devices (desktops, tablets, and mobile phones). The platform must be built using open-source technologies where possible and hosted on a publicly accessible platform (e.g., GitHub Pages). Integration with an existing website is not required.
- Final Delivery by September 2025: Complete and published platform, including all necessary documentation and materials for future updates.
- Budget: The estimated budget for this project is between $4,000 and $8,000. I encourage applicants to provide detailed breakdowns of their proposed fees, including a clear explanation of how their hourly rate factors into the overall project cost.
- Ownership and Licensing: All code developed for this project will be owned by Emily Barrett, the research lead. The platform will be licensed under an open-source license (e.g., MIT License). The data provided by Metro Nashville is publicly available.
- Maintenance and Support: The initial contract will cover development and deployment. A separate agreement may be negotiated for ongoing maintenance and support after the project is complete.
- Collaboration Style: I anticipate regular meetings (virtual or in-person) throughout the project lifecycle. Email, Slack, and other digital communication tools may be used. While the Digital Mapmaker/Web Developer will be responsible for managing the project timeline and deliverables, collaboration and communication with the research lead will be essential throughout the process.
- Existing Work: Existing processing scripts and mapped analyses have been created in static environments. The primary role of the Digital Mapmaker/Web Developer will be to create an interactive and digital counterpart for these materials. I welcome creative input and feedback on how to enhance and refine this existing work. These materials will be shared with shortlisted candidates.
Responsibilities:
- Consult with the researcher to understand the project goals, data structure, and desired user experience.
- Design and develop a user-friendly website and interactive mapping platform.
- Implement data visualization techniques to effectively communicate budget information.
- Integrate and process data provided by the researcher.
- Ensure the platform is responsive across different devices.
- Implement necessary website features, including data filtering, comparisons, charting, and reporting.
- Provide clear and comprehensive documentation for website maintenance and future updates.
- Collaborate effectively with the researcher throughout the project lifecycle, proactively communicating progress, incorporating feedback, and ensuring alignment with project objectives.
Qualifications:
- Proven experience in web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and relevant frameworks).
- Expertise in interactive mapping technologies (e.g., Leaflet, Mapbox, Google Maps API).
- Strong data visualization skills and experience with relevant libraries (e.g., D3.js, Chart.js).
- Experience working with and processing data (e.g., CSV, GeoJSON, JSON).
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
- Ability to understand and translate complex research data into compelling visual representations.
- A portfolio showcasing relevant projects, especially those involving interactive mapping and data visualization.
Bonus:
- Experience with community-based research and the ability to create community data guidelines.
- Experience with user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design principles.
- Experience with accessibility guidelines (e.g. WCAG).
To Apply for the contract:
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and portfolio (or links to relevant projects) to emily.barrett@vanderbilt.edu by March 21, 2025. In your cover letter, please describe your experience with interactive mapping and data visualization, your approach to creating a user-friendly platform for complex data, and a detailed breakdown of your proposed project-based fee, including your hourly rate and how it contributes to the overall cost. This can be a fully remote, or hybrid (with in-person meeting in Nashville, TN) contract position.
Emily Barrett is a PhD Candidate in Community, Research and Action at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on the intersections of economic geography, participatory GIS, and urban studies. A primary focus of her research is to support community organizers advocating for equitable city budget priorities in Nashville, TN.