We turn overwhelming information into actionable insights — handling the technical heavy lifting through custom visualizations, interactive dashboards, StoryMaps, and GIS mapping so partners can focus on the patterns and solutions that matter.
Data rarely arrives clean, complete, or in a form that’s easy to act on. We handle the wrangling: pulling together data from multiple sources, processing it at the geographic scale that actually matters to your community rather than defaulting to standard boundaries like census tracts, and surfacing the patterns that point toward solutions.
We work across dimensions: where things are happening (GIS and spatial analysis), how they’re changing over time, and how different factors interact with each other. The goal is always the same — to make it clearer which levers in the system can be pulled to lead to meaningful change.
Projects
Examples of Data Analysis and Visualization:
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Putting a Data Dashboard to Work for Greenville’s Transit System
Greenville County’s transit system provides 750,000 rides a year—workers, students, and residents who depend on it to reach jobs, healthcare, and opportunity. A custom dashboard built by the Shi Institute is giving advocates the data and tools they need to make the case for a stronger, more connected county.
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Extreme Heat Is a Health Crisis. The Hard Part Is Knowing Exactly Where
South Carolina already endures about 15 days a year above 95°F—and that number is expected to grow dramatically. Extreme heat kills, worsens chronic illness, and strains communities in ways that vary dramatically from block to block. The Shi Institute is helping municipalities see exactly where the threat is greatest, and act on it.
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Protecting Spartanburg’s Northside Neighborhood from Displacement
Rising property values in Spartanburg’s Northside neighborhood bring both opportunities and risks. Our research reveals how strategic interventions can preserve community stability while residents benefit from increased equity.
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Preserving the Farms That Define Our Communities
South Carolina stands to lose 586,000 acres of farmland by 2036. That’s 67 acres disappearing every single day. Shi’s mapping tools can help change this trajectory.
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What Does “Affordable” Actually Mean? A Data-Driven Approach.
Cities debate housing supply a lot. But the data suggest the deeper problem is wages. When most Black households earn far below the area median, a supply-side solution is unlikely to close the gap. Our interactive tool makes that visible.
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Protecting Sterling’s Community Character Amid Intense Market Pressure
Sterling sits in one of Greenville’s fastest-growing real estate markets, where community leaders’ foresight in acquiring key properties years ago now provides crucial protection against displacement pressures.