Environmental Due Diligence
City Directories
The LightBox City Directory report transforms environmental due diligence by uniting historical property research, environmental data, and occupant records in one seamless, mapped experience. LightBox City Directories brings tens of thousands of digitized city directory books into LightBox Live, giving environmental professionals fast, mapped access to decades of historical occupant records. Built on exclusive agreements with the nation’s leading directory publishers and aligned with ASTM E1527-21 historical research standards, it automatically identifies target and adjoining properties, geocodes historical addresses with rooftop-level precision, and flags historically sensitive uses – raising the bar for uncovering a property’s past.
Key Benefits
ASTM E1527-21 Aligned
The industry-first Area of Interest tool systematically identifies adjoining properties in accordance with ASTM guidance.
Rooftop-Level Precision
A proprietary AI-powered geocoder pinpoints target and adjoining properties with high accuracy, often down to the building rooftop.
Unmatched Coverage
More books, more years, and more historical occupant data than ever before. The industry’s most comprehensive national collection.
Systematic Risk Detection
Historically sensitive uses such as dry cleaners and gas stations are flagged automatically, focusing your review where risk may exist.
Visualize with Context
Overlay directory addresses with Sanborn Maps®, historical aerials, tax parcels, and environmental records — all in LightBox Live.
Faster Review
Filter out residential noise and let AI-driven insights surface properties of concern. Research that took hours or days now takes a fraction of the time.
Features & Capabilities
Data & Sources
- Digitized directory library: Tens of thousands of city directory books, digitized and searchable, sourced through exclusive agreements with the nation’s leading publishers.
- Historical occupant records: Standardized addresses linked through space and time, connecting occupants, uses, and environmental context across decades.
- Connected data Lightbox: City directory addresses mapped, overlayed, and integrated with high-precision street maps, building footprints, and all your other historical information in one workspace.
Coverage
- Geographic extent: The industry’s most comprehensive U.S. coverage.
- Adjoining properties: All adjoining properties are included.
- Years covered: Historical research intervals aligned with ASTM E1527-21 requirements dating back to the early 1900’s.
Deliverables & Access
- Interactive research in LightBox Live: Search, map, and review directory findings alongside other datasets in a single workflow.
- City Directory Report: A PDF report for inclusion in Phase I ESA documentation.
- Excel File: An excel file output with all occupant records in a structured format ready for inclusion in your custom tables.
Tools & Analysis
- Area of Interest tool: Quicky identifies adjoining properties per ASTM guidance.
- AI-powered geocoder: Maps historical addresses with rooftop-level precision.
- Tagged records: Gas Stations and Dry Cleaners have been identified and tagged for review.
- Smart filtering: Removes residential listings and highlights historically sensitive uses automatically.
- Integrated Analysis: Use City Directories with the Area of Interest, Groundwater Flow, and Geometry Filter tools to quickly focus on the historical records most relevant to your review. Learn more
Integrations
- Within LightBox Live: Sanborn Maps®, historical aerials, tax parcels, building footprints, and ownership data — overlaid with city directory records in one view.
- Learn more about Environmental and Historical Data