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TEDxNOLA - Allison Plyer - Data Democracy

871 views · Published 16 November 2010 · 10:19 · Indexed 26 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2010 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Allison Plyer is a nationally recognized expert in post-Katrina demographics and New Orleans recovery trends. Allison spearheaded the City of New Orleans' challenge to the Census Bureau's 2007 and 2008 population estimates, resulting in a nearly 75,000 person adjustment to the Bureau's estimates resulting in approximately $60 million in additional federal funds for education, law enforcement, child care, food assistance, homeless assistance, mental health services, and more for New Orleanians. She has presented on "New Orleans' recovery according to the numbers" to audiences ranging from New Orleans neighborhood groups to the White House. Allison has learned that data is critical in a crisis for dispelling rumors and bringing people together around a common set of facts — and that creativity is required to truly democratize the data.


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