Community Impacts and Voice in Computing Infrastructure
Research on the local impacts and governance of data centers
Who shapes data center development?
Data centers can bring jobs and tax revenue, but they also draw on electricity, water, and land. CIVIC studies where they are built, how governments shape development, and how communities can influence those decisions.
Siting and spatial data
We use spatial data, facility records, and satellite imagery to study where data centers are built and how development changes over time. We compare these patterns with the demographic, economic, and environmental characteristics of surrounding communities.
Policy decisions
Our policy research examines the rules and proposals shaping development, including tax incentives, resource use, and oversight. State policies and local decision records help us study how governments weigh competing priorities.
Public attitudes and participation
We develop survey experiments on how people weigh jobs and tax revenue against energy and water demands. Public comments and local decision records help examine whose concerns enter local debates and how officials respond.
Current contributors
- "Simon" Tran Nguyet Anh An
- Alex Workman
- Daniel S. Schiff
- He Yiyang
- Jasper Neath
- Josephine Bradley
- Kaylyn Jackson Schiff
- Liam Narendorf
- Quynh-Anh Nguyen
- Sripoorna Modugula
- Sritha Reddy Vangala
- Vasundhara Kaul