From Informal Addresses to Reliable Places: Participatory Data Governance of Civic Addressing in Puerto Rico

Abstract

This paper examines civic addressing as a problem of participatory data governance. Drawing on a project developed through the U.S. Census Bureau's The Opportunity Project with engagement from FEMA, we describe the use of actionable geolocations to support services where formal addresses are absent. We introduce Reliable Places as transitional governance artifacts through which place reliability emerges via use, enabling services while supporting pathways toward formal civic address assignment.