Metropolitan Regions
Ameregis maps and analyzes the evolving patterns of metropolitan development in areas such as social demographics, fiscal capacity, transportation, housing, infrastructure and land use. Using data for municipalities, school districts, individual schools, counties and states gathered from a wide variety of databases, Ameregis documents trends that indicate the current and prospective vitality of metropolitan regions. Among other things, our work has revealed great differences in the health of the nation's central cities as well as the emergence of several distinct categories of suburbs, each facing a very different future.

States
State policies have both direct and indirect effects on the welfare of local economies and institutions. Ameregis studies these issues in a variety of ways, including simulations of alternative school- and municipal-aid formulas and analyses of state laws governing local and regional public institutions. In states with a diverse set of metropolitan regions, Ameregis can explore common development patterns and the distinct challenges faced by different populations and economies.

Commuting Patterns and Minority Suburbanization
American metropolitan areas are growing in a way that increasingly separates low-income households from employment opportunities and economic growth. This is true not only for poor people of color but also for more mobile middle-class African-American, Latino and Asian households who have been moving to the suburbs. The geography of opportunity is changing in many metropolitan areas, as the fastest-growing employment centers are found more and more in suburban areas, often at the fringes. How well are low-income residents and people of color, who are moving to the suburbs in increasing numbers, served by these opportunities? Ameregis conducts commuting patterns studies in metropolitan regions to answer this question and explore policy applications.

Ameregis offers a full range of GIS and related services for cities, counties, consortiums of governments and regional governments. Access to current, accurate and geographically flexible databases is a powerful tool for planners and other public officials. Ameregis can help you develop the capabilities you need and provide ongoing technical support with GIS databases, mapping, web sites and policy modeling.

Ameregis can create an interactive web site that is available on the Internet where project maps can be accessed by the public or by private users who have passwords to the site. One client is using an interactive mapping site to share the maps Ameregis created for a statewide report with interested viewers in that region. Another client has asked Ameregis to display password-protected political volatility maps for its members. For an example of the ArcIMS maps, see http://www.ameregis.com/arcims, where you can generate and print a number of Minnesota maps of U.S. Census variables at no charge.

Ameregis offers a unique combination of GIS and analytic skills to support redistricting and election analysis. We have unequaled skills identifying and supporting communities of interest and can document racial-bloc voting with the standard methodologies required by the courts. Ameregis is also a pioneer in the systematic geographic analysis of political volatility and voter participation and can provide rapid data, maps and analysis for pre- or post-election activities.

Ameregis studies are often produced in collaboration with local organizations seeking reforms in land-use planning, affordable housing or local tax policies, state and regional revenue sharing and regional decision-making. All over the country, Ameregis' partners have been successful in using our data, maps and analysis to build support for a variety of policy reforms.

Ameregis can work with you to build a project best suited for your needs. Whether you represent a nonprofit organization, a foundation or a local or regional government entity, our project development team can help you plan and implement a project that complements the goals of your organization.

Our development staff can put together a proposal for your project, then modify it according to your specifications. Our staff are also on hand to assist you in identifying potential funders, writing grant proposals and offering assistance throughout the process.

We have worked with large and small organizations and can customize a mapping and analysis project that will focus on your organization’s mission.

Initiating a Project:
Step 1: Contact the Ameregis project development staff
Step 2: Our staff will write a proposal for your project
Step 3: Work with our staff to agree on project specifications
Step 4: Locate potential funders
Step 5: Raise funds, through grants from foundations, charitable organizations or government entities
Step 6: Once project has been fully funded, Ameregis will determine when mapping and analysis will begin, according to current project schedule.