The HD-OD toolbox is comprised of methodological (process) and IT tools:


Organizational Tools focus on how to locally apply and structure the HDOD toolbox and the alignment of the tools with the people it is intended to inform (citizens to policy-makers).

Communication Tools focus on a communications strategy/program that recognizes that there is a broad constituency of users with differing information and decision-making needs who require information in a form that makes complex issues sensible so that they can be acted on.


Decision Support Tools are designed to support what people need to know to make informed decisions. At the core of the Decision-Support Tools there will be developed a 3D multi-dimensional geo-spatial database that integrates real estate development and human development data/information. It includes perceived and measurable information that track the changes in communities, individuals and households to evaluate how the changes in the human and physical dimensions of the community are performing.

Information and Data Tools provide the content for the Decision-Support and Information Analysis Tools that coordinate physical and human development within rapidly changing neighborhoods. The local, independent non-partisan Community Change Center will deploy and manage the Decision-Support, Information and Data, and Information Analysis Tools on behalf of the community and stakeholders.

Information Analysis Tools focus on the questions the community, stakeholders, and individuals/households/small business want to know about in order to frame their choices and options, assist in evaluating them, and develop future options and scenarios to understand the consequences. For example, Information Analysis Tools will analyze the differences between perceived and measured information, identify potential "tipping points", and perform "patch or social gap analyses".