Research Guides: Journalism: Find PA / Philly Info

Why PA/Philly Sources?

Question: What value lies in using state and/or city-produced information?

Answer: Some information concerning the state of Pennsylvania or the city of Philadelphia is only available from the departments, committees, organizations, and programs that produce it.

General Information

For additional information, refer to the Philadelphia and/or Politics in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area guides.

PA.gov
The official website for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Contains links to state services, request forms, and information.
The Philadelphia City Website
Contains links to city departments and agencies, city services, neighborhood information, and much more.
Philadelphia City Directory
The directory for City of Philadelphia employees. Search by name or department.

Demographic Information

data.census.gov This link opens in a new window
Contains statistical data (population, housing, economy, and more) for specific states and cities.

Pennsylvania Department of Health - Vital Statistics
Contains information on state and county vital statistics.
Philadelphia Vital Statistics Report
Contains data on the number of births, still-births, and deaths occurring to Philadelphia residents.

Neighborhood Information

Neighborhood Information - from the Free Library of Philadelphia
Contains area community resources for each of Philadelphia's branch libraries and the surrounding neighborhood.
Philadelphia Neighborhoods Planning Project
Contains reports of 86 neighborhood planning surveys prepared and published by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission between 1946 and 1990.

Health & Welfare

Pennsylvania Department of Health
Contains information regarding health care professionals and providers, vital records, health planning, plus health research and statistics, including
Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Contains emergency contact information, health center locations, frequently asked questions, as well as the vital statistics report.
Philadelphia Restaurant Inspections
Search for Philadelphia restaurant inspections by neighborhood, districts, zip code, or restaurant name/type.

Crime & Criminal Justice

Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts
Contains statistical data from common pleas court, family court, traffic court, civil court, and more, searchable by county.
Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System (Dashboard)
Contains crime reports and statistics for the state of Pennsylvania. Create reports based on different criteria - number of burglaries in Philadelphia in the past year.
Philadelphia Operation Town Watch
Contains information about local town watch organizationa, as well as crime statistics by district.
Philadelphia Police Department
Contains departmental annual reports, department histories, accident report forms, police misconduct forms, as well as police crime maps, crime statistics and patrol district crime statistics.

Legal & Judicial

Pennsylvania General Assembly
Contains legislator and session information, as well as committee meeting schedules.
Philadelphia City Council Information Center
Contains bills, resolutions, minutes, and other City Council documents.
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
Contains selected opinions from 1998 to the present.
Philadelphia Commerce Court
Contains opinions from 2000 to the present.
First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
Contains schedules for Court of Common Pleas, Municipal Court, and Traffic Court.

Housing & Zoning

Office of Housing and Community Development
Contains information about City of Philadelphia's policies and plans, local housing programs, as well as their annual reports.
Office of Property Assessment
Contains property valuation data for properties in the City of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Contains information about city zoning and plans for new development.
Philadelphia Housing Authority
Contains information about affiliate programs and organizations, plus budget information as well as their annual reports.
Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation
Contains information about the corporation's programs as well as its financial statements.

Maps & Images

maps.phila.gov
Maps and apps of City data.
Digital Collections
Contains news photographs taken for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, tracing the social, economic, educational, and political development of the greater Philadelphia area.
PhillyHistory.org
Contains archival photos of Philadelphia since the late 1800s, searchable by neighborhood, keyword, or address.

Temple University

University Libraries

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