Location: Nationwide
Website: www.urbanobservatory.org
Richard Saul Wurman, Radical Media, and Esri bring you the Urban Observatory—a live museum with a data pulse.
You'll have access to rich datasets for cities around the world that let you simultaneously view answers to the most important questions impacting today's global cities—and you.
Compare and contrast visualized information for a greater understanding of life in the 21st century.
You have the opportunity to join a first–of–its kind virtual experience that takes advantage of GIS as an integrative platform. Information about urbanization does not exist in comparative form. Several cities have already signed on to participate. By contributing, you empower your citizens, constituents, colleagues, and the global community.
The creative and technical forces at Radical Media and Esri build you a one–of–a–kind, futuristic virtual experience that's complete art and science. You’ll make your data come to life using an interactive exhibit complete with the finest software, hardware, fiber optics, custom kiosks, quality sound system and monitors.
Showing posts with label Information Sharing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Information Sharing. Show all posts
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
BayShare
Location: S.F. Bay Area
Website: www.bayshare.org
BayShare is an advocacy organization whose mission is to make the Bay Area the best place on the planet for sharing. As this movement grows, BayShare will explore how city stakeholders and the sharing community can work together to help the Sharing Economy flourish in the Bay Area to benefit the city, businesses, and communities.
The organization looks to be a resource for the Mayor’s Working Group on the Sharing Economy and it will also serve as a resource for the public by hosting events and providing educational materials so that more residents and businesses engage with this new economy.
The Sharing Economy is a popular way for individuals, governments and businesses to access goods and services in new and less expensive ways.
Today people are bartering, lending, trading, gifting and swapping their homes, cars, power drills, skills and even extra time. Spurred by need and a shift in cultural values, and empowered by peer technologies and business models, the sharing economy is democratizing access to resources of all kinds - tangible assets, services, knowledge, capital, production technology, and decision making power.
In its many innovations - some old, some new - include car sharing, cooperatives, crowdfunding, ride sharing, coworking, open source software, participatory budgeting, and peer accommodation to name a few, the Sharing Economy provides an opportunity to explore how we can lead more connected, sustainable lives while benefitting the cities we inhabit. The Bay Area has lead the country in adopting the Sharing Economy and in recognizing its social, environmental, and economic benefits. Many new sharing businesses have headquartered in the Bay Area, making the city an incubator for new business models that create jobs, empower citizens, and creates a more robust community.
Considered to be the next billion dollar industry, the Sharing Economy can help Bay Area residents maintain a high quality of life while living in the hub of the most expensive city in the country. Individuals and businesses across the socio-economic spectrum are able to access new economic opportunities by monetizing their underutilized assets.
Conversely, those who need access to those assets can get them from their neighbors more affordably. A new service industry providing flexible jobs has also cropped up as a result. The impact of these services and new revenue streams on household budgets can be significant.
Innovative use of existing resources cultivates a more sustainable economy based on efficient use of resources. This kind of resource efficiency can significantly reduce waste and help San Franciscans maintain lighter environmental footprints. Sharing builds community and fills market gaps. The Sharing Economy gives citizens a sense of place and purpose in their neighborhoods, and connects them to where they live. This creates a more connected and resilient San Francisco that will be beneficial both now and in times of crisis.
The Sharing Economy is a popular way for individuals, governments and businesses to access goods and services in new and less expensive ways. Today people are bartering, lending, trading, gifting and swapping their homes, cars, power drills, skills and even extra time. Spurred by need and a shift in cultural values, and empowered by peer technologies and business models, the sharing economy is democratizing access to resources of all kinds - tangible assets, services, knowledge, capital, production technology, and decision making power.
In its many innovations - some old, some new - include car sharing, cooperatives, crowdfunding, ride sharing, coworking, open source software, participatory budgeting, and peer accommodation to name a few, the Sharing Economy provides an opportunity to explore how we can lead more connected, sustainable lives while benefitting the cities we inhabit.
BayShare members have already contributed to initiatives to improve the Bay Area such as participatory budgeting, democratizing access to production capacity and providing car sharing services and fleets to decrease the number of cars on the road, contributing environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits to the city of San Francisco.
The Sharing Economy and the Bay Area local government have common goals: to increase resource efficiency, to create jobs and income, to build community, and to achieve zero-waste. There is a great opportunity to combine our efforts to create a stronger, more resilient Bay Area.
BayShare members have already contributed to initiatives to improve the Bay Area such as participatory budgeting, democratizing access to production capacity and providing car sharing services and fleets to decrease the number of cars on the road, contributing environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits to the city of San Francisco.The Sharing Economy and the Bay Area local government have common goals: to increase resource efficiency, to create jobs and income, to build community, and to achieve zero-waste. There is a great opportunity to combine our efforts to create a stronger, more resilient Bay Area.
Website: www.bayshare.org
BayShare is an advocacy organization whose mission is to make the Bay Area the best place on the planet for sharing. As this movement grows, BayShare will explore how city stakeholders and the sharing community can work together to help the Sharing Economy flourish in the Bay Area to benefit the city, businesses, and communities.
The organization looks to be a resource for the Mayor’s Working Group on the Sharing Economy and it will also serve as a resource for the public by hosting events and providing educational materials so that more residents and businesses engage with this new economy.
The Sharing Economy is a popular way for individuals, governments and businesses to access goods and services in new and less expensive ways.
Today people are bartering, lending, trading, gifting and swapping their homes, cars, power drills, skills and even extra time. Spurred by need and a shift in cultural values, and empowered by peer technologies and business models, the sharing economy is democratizing access to resources of all kinds - tangible assets, services, knowledge, capital, production technology, and decision making power.
In its many innovations - some old, some new - include car sharing, cooperatives, crowdfunding, ride sharing, coworking, open source software, participatory budgeting, and peer accommodation to name a few, the Sharing Economy provides an opportunity to explore how we can lead more connected, sustainable lives while benefitting the cities we inhabit. The Bay Area has lead the country in adopting the Sharing Economy and in recognizing its social, environmental, and economic benefits. Many new sharing businesses have headquartered in the Bay Area, making the city an incubator for new business models that create jobs, empower citizens, and creates a more robust community.
Considered to be the next billion dollar industry, the Sharing Economy can help Bay Area residents maintain a high quality of life while living in the hub of the most expensive city in the country. Individuals and businesses across the socio-economic spectrum are able to access new economic opportunities by monetizing their underutilized assets.
Conversely, those who need access to those assets can get them from their neighbors more affordably. A new service industry providing flexible jobs has also cropped up as a result. The impact of these services and new revenue streams on household budgets can be significant.
Innovative use of existing resources cultivates a more sustainable economy based on efficient use of resources. This kind of resource efficiency can significantly reduce waste and help San Franciscans maintain lighter environmental footprints. Sharing builds community and fills market gaps. The Sharing Economy gives citizens a sense of place and purpose in their neighborhoods, and connects them to where they live. This creates a more connected and resilient San Francisco that will be beneficial both now and in times of crisis.
The Sharing Economy is a popular way for individuals, governments and businesses to access goods and services in new and less expensive ways. Today people are bartering, lending, trading, gifting and swapping their homes, cars, power drills, skills and even extra time. Spurred by need and a shift in cultural values, and empowered by peer technologies and business models, the sharing economy is democratizing access to resources of all kinds - tangible assets, services, knowledge, capital, production technology, and decision making power.
In its many innovations - some old, some new - include car sharing, cooperatives, crowdfunding, ride sharing, coworking, open source software, participatory budgeting, and peer accommodation to name a few, the Sharing Economy provides an opportunity to explore how we can lead more connected, sustainable lives while benefitting the cities we inhabit.
BayShare members have already contributed to initiatives to improve the Bay Area such as participatory budgeting, democratizing access to production capacity and providing car sharing services and fleets to decrease the number of cars on the road, contributing environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits to the city of San Francisco.
The Sharing Economy and the Bay Area local government have common goals: to increase resource efficiency, to create jobs and income, to build community, and to achieve zero-waste. There is a great opportunity to combine our efforts to create a stronger, more resilient Bay Area.
BayShare members have already contributed to initiatives to improve the Bay Area such as participatory budgeting, democratizing access to production capacity and providing car sharing services and fleets to decrease the number of cars on the road, contributing environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits to the city of San Francisco.The Sharing Economy and the Bay Area local government have common goals: to increase resource efficiency, to create jobs and income, to build community, and to achieve zero-waste. There is a great opportunity to combine our efforts to create a stronger, more resilient Bay Area.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
OpenOakland
Location: Oakland, CA
Website: www.openoakland.org
OpenOakland, a Code for America Brigade, is a civic innovation organization that brings together coders, designers, data geeks, journalists, and city staff to collaborate on solutions to improve how our local government serves all citizens of Oakland.
We draw on our wide range of expertise and perspectives to build open-source applications and working relationships that promote civic innovation and open government in Oakland.
Our projects range from events like City Camp to Open Government Pledge, to a community-based open-data portal and OaklandWiki, to apps that help you chart crime trends, submit FOIA requests, adopt your local storm drain.
Website: www.openoakland.org
OpenOakland, a Code for America Brigade, is a civic innovation organization that brings together coders, designers, data geeks, journalists, and city staff to collaborate on solutions to improve how our local government serves all citizens of Oakland.
We draw on our wide range of expertise and perspectives to build open-source applications and working relationships that promote civic innovation and open government in Oakland.
Our projects range from events like City Camp to Open Government Pledge, to a community-based open-data portal and OaklandWiki, to apps that help you chart crime trends, submit FOIA requests, adopt your local storm drain.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
American Urbex
Location: Nationwide
Website: www.americanurbex.com
The main goal of American Urbex is to mashup three categories of research material: rich visual media, geolocation, and information. This website began as a project for a Library Media Sciences course at UW-Whitewater. The site is operated by Ken Fager – grad student, Wisconsin licensed instructor, photographer and adventurer.
America has a rich tapestry of historical places throughout the nation. Some are pretty difficult to find, but most are hidden in plain sight.
Every day people walk past them without bothering to ask questions. Why are they there? What function did they serve? Who were the people that dwelled here? Why did they leave? Beyond the main goal this website advocates the exploration of urbex locations in the interest of education, adventure, and preservation.
All legitimate requests can be sent to the administrator. American Urbex reserves the right not to divulge location information.
Website: www.americanurbex.com
The main goal of American Urbex is to mashup three categories of research material: rich visual media, geolocation, and information. This website began as a project for a Library Media Sciences course at UW-Whitewater. The site is operated by Ken Fager – grad student, Wisconsin licensed instructor, photographer and adventurer.
America has a rich tapestry of historical places throughout the nation. Some are pretty difficult to find, but most are hidden in plain sight.
Every day people walk past them without bothering to ask questions. Why are they there? What function did they serve? Who were the people that dwelled here? Why did they leave? Beyond the main goal this website advocates the exploration of urbex locations in the interest of education, adventure, and preservation.
All legitimate requests can be sent to the administrator. American Urbex reserves the right not to divulge location information.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Energy Efficient Buildings Hub
Location: Philadelphia , PA
Website: www.eebhub.org
The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) was established in Philadelphia by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as an Energy-Regional Innovation Cluster (E-RIC) on February 1, 2011 with a unique dual mission of improving energy efficiency in buildings—literally re-energizing them for the future—and promoting regional economic growth and job creation from our headquarters in Philadelphia's Navy Yard, one of the nation's largest and most dynamic redevelopment opportunities.
Federal funding for the EEB Hub’s first five years of operation comes primarily from the Department of Energy (DOE), with additional contributions from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is providing separate funding for EEB Hub facilities, while EEB Hub participants will also make cost-sharing contributions.
Our energy efficiency goal is ambitious: to reduce energy use in the regional-Philadelphia commercial buildings sector by 20 percent by 2020.
To reach this goal, our efforts are concentrated on accelerating the adoption of Advanced Energy Retrofits of average size commercial buildings. An Advanced Energy Retrofit is one that makes use of new but proven technologies, systems and processes to achieve significant energy and, ultimately, economic savings.
We must therefore design, demonstrate, and deploy customized retrofits that are both technically sound and financially feasible in the Greater Philadelphia region. That is why a major initial activity of the EEB Hub is the Advanced Energy Retrofit of Building 661 at the Navy Yard, a former U.S. Navy recreation building.
This project will demonstrate that innovative energy saving technologies will:
- Achieve high performance outcomes,
- Save considerable money over time,
- Create value for building owners, and
- Enhance the comfort and productivity of occupants.
The EEB Hub will achieve its goal through informed people, validated information, and proven technologies.
Our objectives are:
- To develop and deploy to the building industry a state-of-the-art modeling platform to integrate design, construction, commissioning, and operation
- To demonstrate the market viability of energy saving technologies for whole building system solutions at the Navy Yard and elsewhere in the region
- To identify policies that accelerate market adoption of energy efficient retrofits of commercial buildings and support policy makers in the development of such policies in the Greater Philadelphia region
- To inform, train, and educate people about proven energy saving strategies and technologies whether they design, own, construct, maintain, or occupy buildings
- To help launch business ventures that will exploit market opportunities for providing whole building energy saving solutions
- The EEB Hub will also help foster job creation in the commercial building energy retrofit sector in the Greater Philadelphia region. In addition, our work will further develop the Navy Yard as a global center for energy efficient building research, development, demonstration, and deployment.
As the EEB Hub’s consortium of leading scientists and engineers collaborate to overcome critical energy challenges, we will identify new retrofit service and technology opportunities and support emerging business models for new ventures that leverage these opportunities for providing new and comprehensive retrofit solutions.
As initially configured, the EEB Hub included 22 performer organizations made up of research universities, DOE laboratories, industrial firms, economic development agencies, and community and technical colleges. Rather than a closed consortium, however, we are a dynamic association of members unified by the vision and mission of enabling the nation to reach the national goal of cutting energy usage in commercial buildings by “20 percent by 2020."
The EEB Hub is responsive and performance-driven, so we have the flexibility to modify and refine objectives, and reset milestones to provide the nation’s building sector with the best set of deliverables possible.
The EEB Hub is engaging key stakeholders in the retrofit decision process to serve as an informational, motivational, and practical resource for the various constituencies that will help carry our vision forward.
We facilitate education, cross-pollination and collaboration among:
- Commercial building owners, operators and occupants,
- Architects, engineers, construction firms and building system suppliers,
- Policy-makers and economic development organizations, and
- Workforce development organizations and educational institutions.
Energy independence is a goal widely supported for both economic and security reasons. Just imagine: the commercial building sector uses approximately 20 quadrillion BTUs annually. (1 quadrillion BTUs is equal to the annual energy output of forty 1,000 megawatt power plants!) A 20 percent reduction can dramatically and quickly help move the nation closer to its energy independence goal. The strategies and programs of the EEB Hub can have a transformative effect on how energy in this country is used, allowing energy management to become an operating reality for the commercial real estate sector. We are part of the solution. And we invite you to take part with us.
Website: www.eebhub.org
The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) was established in Philadelphia by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as an Energy-Regional Innovation Cluster (E-RIC) on February 1, 2011 with a unique dual mission of improving energy efficiency in buildings—literally re-energizing them for the future—and promoting regional economic growth and job creation from our headquarters in Philadelphia's Navy Yard, one of the nation's largest and most dynamic redevelopment opportunities.
Federal funding for the EEB Hub’s first five years of operation comes primarily from the Department of Energy (DOE), with additional contributions from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is providing separate funding for EEB Hub facilities, while EEB Hub participants will also make cost-sharing contributions.
Our energy efficiency goal is ambitious: to reduce energy use in the regional-Philadelphia commercial buildings sector by 20 percent by 2020.
To reach this goal, our efforts are concentrated on accelerating the adoption of Advanced Energy Retrofits of average size commercial buildings. An Advanced Energy Retrofit is one that makes use of new but proven technologies, systems and processes to achieve significant energy and, ultimately, economic savings.
We must therefore design, demonstrate, and deploy customized retrofits that are both technically sound and financially feasible in the Greater Philadelphia region. That is why a major initial activity of the EEB Hub is the Advanced Energy Retrofit of Building 661 at the Navy Yard, a former U.S. Navy recreation building.
This project will demonstrate that innovative energy saving technologies will:
- Achieve high performance outcomes,
- Save considerable money over time,
- Create value for building owners, and
- Enhance the comfort and productivity of occupants.
The EEB Hub will achieve its goal through informed people, validated information, and proven technologies.
Our objectives are:
- To develop and deploy to the building industry a state-of-the-art modeling platform to integrate design, construction, commissioning, and operation
- To demonstrate the market viability of energy saving technologies for whole building system solutions at the Navy Yard and elsewhere in the region
- To identify policies that accelerate market adoption of energy efficient retrofits of commercial buildings and support policy makers in the development of such policies in the Greater Philadelphia region
- To inform, train, and educate people about proven energy saving strategies and technologies whether they design, own, construct, maintain, or occupy buildings
- To help launch business ventures that will exploit market opportunities for providing whole building energy saving solutions
- The EEB Hub will also help foster job creation in the commercial building energy retrofit sector in the Greater Philadelphia region. In addition, our work will further develop the Navy Yard as a global center for energy efficient building research, development, demonstration, and deployment.
As the EEB Hub’s consortium of leading scientists and engineers collaborate to overcome critical energy challenges, we will identify new retrofit service and technology opportunities and support emerging business models for new ventures that leverage these opportunities for providing new and comprehensive retrofit solutions.
As initially configured, the EEB Hub included 22 performer organizations made up of research universities, DOE laboratories, industrial firms, economic development agencies, and community and technical colleges. Rather than a closed consortium, however, we are a dynamic association of members unified by the vision and mission of enabling the nation to reach the national goal of cutting energy usage in commercial buildings by “20 percent by 2020."
The EEB Hub is responsive and performance-driven, so we have the flexibility to modify and refine objectives, and reset milestones to provide the nation’s building sector with the best set of deliverables possible.
The EEB Hub is engaging key stakeholders in the retrofit decision process to serve as an informational, motivational, and practical resource for the various constituencies that will help carry our vision forward.
We facilitate education, cross-pollination and collaboration among:
- Commercial building owners, operators and occupants,
- Architects, engineers, construction firms and building system suppliers,
- Policy-makers and economic development organizations, and
- Workforce development organizations and educational institutions.
Energy independence is a goal widely supported for both economic and security reasons. Just imagine: the commercial building sector uses approximately 20 quadrillion BTUs annually. (1 quadrillion BTUs is equal to the annual energy output of forty 1,000 megawatt power plants!) A 20 percent reduction can dramatically and quickly help move the nation closer to its energy independence goal. The strategies and programs of the EEB Hub can have a transformative effect on how energy in this country is used, allowing energy management to become an operating reality for the commercial real estate sector. We are part of the solution. And we invite you to take part with us.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
American Public Transit Association
Location: Nationwide
Website: www.apta.com
APTA is the leading force in advancing public transportation.
APTA members are public organizations that are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passenger services, and high-speed rail. Members also include large and small companies who plan, design, construct, finance, supply, and operate bus and rail services worldwide.
Government agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, state departments of transportation, academic institutions, and trade publications are also part of our membership.
To strengthen and improve public transportation, APTA serves and leads its diverse membership through advocacy, innovation and information sharing. APTA and its members and staff work to ensure that public transportation is available and accessible for all Americans in communities across the country.
Website: www.apta.com
APTA is the leading force in advancing public transportation.
APTA members are public organizations that are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passenger services, and high-speed rail. Members also include large and small companies who plan, design, construct, finance, supply, and operate bus and rail services worldwide.
Government agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, state departments of transportation, academic institutions, and trade publications are also part of our membership.
To strengthen and improve public transportation, APTA serves and leads its diverse membership through advocacy, innovation and information sharing. APTA and its members and staff work to ensure that public transportation is available and accessible for all Americans in communities across the country.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
This Big City
Location: International
Website: www.thisbigcity.net
This Big City is an award winning social media organisation sharing ideas and encouraging discussion about sustainable cities.
We explore urban trends, ideas and analysis in English, Chinese, Spanish and French here on thisbigcity.net and are active on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr sharing short-form content with over 100,000 followers and engaging in social media events like our #citytalk tweetchat.
This Big City is based in London and was founded in September 2009 by Joe Peach. Joe is Editor in chief and works with This Big City’s clients and collaborators on social media projects.
Leonard Chien is our Chinese Editor, publishing This Big City 城事 from Taipei, Taiwan. Leonard is a professional translator and interpreter who counts Global Voices and Wired as clients.
Alejandro Echeverria is our Spanish Editor, publishing This Big City en español from London, UK. Alejandro is an urban planner and author of the novel The Scorpion’s Symposium.
Felicia Todor is our French Editor, publishing This Big City en français from Montreal (Qc), Canada. Felicia is a retail and urban planning consultant with MDLX Planning, working with institutions and clients from corporate real estate and government.
Alessandro Vino is our Italian Editor, publishing This Big City in italiano from Freising, Germany. Alessandro is a graduated landscape architect who works in urban & public space design.
We publish content from writers across the globe and have collaborated with charities, NGOs, and corporations on social media projects. We also offer Translation Internships. If you want to find out more about working with This Big City click here.
All original content on This Big City has a Creative Commons 3.0 License. We encourage you to republish our articles by following our Attribution Policy.
Website: www.thisbigcity.net
This Big City is an award winning social media organisation sharing ideas and encouraging discussion about sustainable cities.
We explore urban trends, ideas and analysis in English, Chinese, Spanish and French here on thisbigcity.net and are active on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr sharing short-form content with over 100,000 followers and engaging in social media events like our #citytalk tweetchat.
This Big City is based in London and was founded in September 2009 by Joe Peach. Joe is Editor in chief and works with This Big City’s clients and collaborators on social media projects.
Leonard Chien is our Chinese Editor, publishing This Big City 城事 from Taipei, Taiwan. Leonard is a professional translator and interpreter who counts Global Voices and Wired as clients.
Alejandro Echeverria is our Spanish Editor, publishing This Big City en español from London, UK. Alejandro is an urban planner and author of the novel The Scorpion’s Symposium.
Felicia Todor is our French Editor, publishing This Big City en français from Montreal (Qc), Canada. Felicia is a retail and urban planning consultant with MDLX Planning, working with institutions and clients from corporate real estate and government.
Alessandro Vino is our Italian Editor, publishing This Big City in italiano from Freising, Germany. Alessandro is a graduated landscape architect who works in urban & public space design.
We publish content from writers across the globe and have collaborated with charities, NGOs, and corporations on social media projects. We also offer Translation Internships. If you want to find out more about working with This Big City click here.
All original content on This Big City has a Creative Commons 3.0 License. We encourage you to republish our articles by following our Attribution Policy.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
WDWOT
Location: Detroit, MI
Website: www.whydontweownthis.com
Why Don’t We Own This? is a service by LOVELAND Technologies that displays every property in a city and provides meaningful lenses to understand property information including:
- Ownership Information
- Property Tax Status
- Information
- Foreclosure Prevention Resources
- Property Tax Payment Portals
- Real-Time Foreclosure Auction Updates
- Social Channels to comment and connect with others
- Additional tools for those who join our $25 annual membership program
The focus of Why Don’t We Own This? is Detroit, Michigan. We started WDWOT in 2011 to track the Wayne County Foreclosure Auction. Each year our work has grown along with the size and scale of the foreclosure auction and its effect on the City of Detroit, and now we're branching out to provide more year-round property and land use services.
We strive to provide property information in a clean and interactive way that is intuitive to use while increasing the sense of ownership and power a citizen has in their city. Hopefully WDWOT helps prevent the accidental and unnecessary loss of properties to tax foreclosure and auction, and helps connect you with otherwise invisible opportunities for enlightenment, investment, charity, and support.
It's free to look up information and comment on WDWOT, but we encourage you to become an annual member for $25 plus an optional tip of your choosing. Memberships and tips allow us to run and develop the service, and they also give you access to additional site features.
We're constantly developing things and looking for feedback on not only how to improve the site, but how to work with governments, businesses, neighborhood groups, and nonprofits. Our feedback page is at whydontweownthis.com/topics/feedback.
Website: www.whydontweownthis.com
Why Don’t We Own This? is a service by LOVELAND Technologies that displays every property in a city and provides meaningful lenses to understand property information including:
- Ownership Information
- Property Tax Status
- Information
- Foreclosure Prevention Resources
- Property Tax Payment Portals
- Real-Time Foreclosure Auction Updates
- Social Channels to comment and connect with others
- Additional tools for those who join our $25 annual membership program
The focus of Why Don’t We Own This? is Detroit, Michigan. We started WDWOT in 2011 to track the Wayne County Foreclosure Auction. Each year our work has grown along with the size and scale of the foreclosure auction and its effect on the City of Detroit, and now we're branching out to provide more year-round property and land use services.
We strive to provide property information in a clean and interactive way that is intuitive to use while increasing the sense of ownership and power a citizen has in their city. Hopefully WDWOT helps prevent the accidental and unnecessary loss of properties to tax foreclosure and auction, and helps connect you with otherwise invisible opportunities for enlightenment, investment, charity, and support.
It's free to look up information and comment on WDWOT, but we encourage you to become an annual member for $25 plus an optional tip of your choosing. Memberships and tips allow us to run and develop the service, and they also give you access to additional site features.
We're constantly developing things and looking for feedback on not only how to improve the site, but how to work with governments, businesses, neighborhood groups, and nonprofits. Our feedback page is at whydontweownthis.com/topics/feedback.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Oakland Crimestopping
Location: Oakland,CA
Website: www.oakland.crimestopping.com
This project is not affiliated with the City of Oakland or the Oakland Police Department, but we do use data published on CrimeWatch, the City’s community crime mapping website.
There are several things to do here:
- Browse crime reports by day and by type.
- Sign up to receive e-mail alerts and RSS feeds for crime reports in your neighborhood.
- Information about site updates and new features can be found on our blog, blog.crimespotting.org.
Unfortunately, CrimeWatch suffers from a few drawbacks that we believe Crimespotting helps to address.
CrimeWatch is inaccessible to many popular browsers, and does not “gracefully degrade” for maximum flexibility. CrimeWatch provides maps of crime reports but makes them difficult to explore.
Our map view is completely explorable - it’s possible to pan and zoom, select date ranges in the past, and view specific kinds of crimes.
You can also share links directly to a particular view of the map, which is important for sharing and publishing information. If you don’t have the required Flash plug-in to view the interactive map, we have a browseable crime database with maps in image form for combinations of dates and types of crime.
We believe that this map-first approach is a valuable and sensible way to publish information for people to use - everyone knows how to find their house, school, or workplace on a map, but few people remember relevant details such as the city council district or police beat these places occupy.
An important source of inspiration for Oakland Crimespotting comes from Chicago Crime, a freely browseable database of crimes reported in Chicago created by Adrian Holovaty and Wilson Miner.
Once per day, we collect fresh crime reports from CrimeWatch and save them in our database. The technical details on how this is done can be found on Mike’s blog, especially in posts from December and January. We are currently exposing crime reports going back one month.
The map is an example of Modest Maps, our Flash and Python framework for displaying tile-based geographical images. The tiles we’ve chosen to use come from Microsoft® Virtual Earth™.
Who
Oakland Crimespotting was designed and built by Stamen Design’s Michal Migurski, Tom Carden, and Eric Rodenbeck. Feedback, complaints, and suggestions are welcome at info@crimespotting.org.
Website: www.oakland.crimestopping.com
This project is not affiliated with the City of Oakland or the Oakland Police Department, but we do use data published on CrimeWatch, the City’s community crime mapping website.
There are several things to do here:
- Browse crime reports by day and by type.
- Sign up to receive e-mail alerts and RSS feeds for crime reports in your neighborhood.
- Information about site updates and new features can be found on our blog, blog.crimespotting.org.
Unfortunately, CrimeWatch suffers from a few drawbacks that we believe Crimespotting helps to address.
CrimeWatch is inaccessible to many popular browsers, and does not “gracefully degrade” for maximum flexibility. CrimeWatch provides maps of crime reports but makes them difficult to explore.
Our map view is completely explorable - it’s possible to pan and zoom, select date ranges in the past, and view specific kinds of crimes.
You can also share links directly to a particular view of the map, which is important for sharing and publishing information. If you don’t have the required Flash plug-in to view the interactive map, we have a browseable crime database with maps in image form for combinations of dates and types of crime.
We believe that this map-first approach is a valuable and sensible way to publish information for people to use - everyone knows how to find their house, school, or workplace on a map, but few people remember relevant details such as the city council district or police beat these places occupy.
An important source of inspiration for Oakland Crimespotting comes from Chicago Crime, a freely browseable database of crimes reported in Chicago created by Adrian Holovaty and Wilson Miner.
Once per day, we collect fresh crime reports from CrimeWatch and save them in our database. The technical details on how this is done can be found on Mike’s blog, especially in posts from December and January. We are currently exposing crime reports going back one month.
The map is an example of Modest Maps, our Flash and Python framework for displaying tile-based geographical images. The tiles we’ve chosen to use come from Microsoft® Virtual Earth™.
Who
Oakland Crimespotting was designed and built by Stamen Design’s Michal Migurski, Tom Carden, and Eric Rodenbeck. Feedback, complaints, and suggestions are welcome at info@crimespotting.org.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Spatial Information Design Lab
Location: New York, NY
Website: www.spatialinformationdesignlab.org
Spatial Information Design Lab was founded in 2004 as an interdisciplinary research unit in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University.
The Spatial Information Design Lab is a think- and action-tank at Columbia University specializing in the visual display of spatial information about contemporary cities and events. The lab works with data about space -- numeric data combined with narratives and images to design compelling visual presentations about our world today. The projects in the lab focus on linking social data with geography to help researchers and advocates communicate information clearly, responsibly, and provocatively. We work with survey and census data, Global Positioning System information, maps, high- and low-resolution satellite imagery, analytic graphics, photographs and drawings, along with narratives and qualitative interpretations, to produce images.
Spatial Information Design is a name for new ways of working with the vast quantity of statistical and other data available about the contemporary city. By reorganizing tabular data using unique visualization techniques, and locating it geographically, we try to correlate disparate items of information and picture the patterns and networks they create. Putting data on a map can open new spaces for action, and new options for intervention, as the often-unseen shapes and forms of life in the city becomes visible.
Design, here, is less like a tool and more like a language, a practice that shapes the outcomes and understandings of the things we do. It is not simply an aesthetic prejudice. The ways in which we present ideas and information can sometimes be even more important than the material itself, for better, or more commonly, for worse. The words and pictures we choose make a difference to the way people, including us, imagine their own possibilities of responding to what we say and do.
The goal of the Spatial Information Design Lab is to make partnerships with people and organizations inside and outside of the University. We are most interested in research which requires the independence and rigor of an academic setting (free of the usual politics and pressures of real life situations), and which thrive in an atmosphere of open inquiry, experimentation, and risk-taking, in order to expand the ways in which data is collected and used.
Website: www.spatialinformationdesignlab.org
Spatial Information Design Lab was founded in 2004 as an interdisciplinary research unit in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University.
The Spatial Information Design Lab is a think- and action-tank at Columbia University specializing in the visual display of spatial information about contemporary cities and events. The lab works with data about space -- numeric data combined with narratives and images to design compelling visual presentations about our world today. The projects in the lab focus on linking social data with geography to help researchers and advocates communicate information clearly, responsibly, and provocatively. We work with survey and census data, Global Positioning System information, maps, high- and low-resolution satellite imagery, analytic graphics, photographs and drawings, along with narratives and qualitative interpretations, to produce images.
Spatial Information Design is a name for new ways of working with the vast quantity of statistical and other data available about the contemporary city. By reorganizing tabular data using unique visualization techniques, and locating it geographically, we try to correlate disparate items of information and picture the patterns and networks they create. Putting data on a map can open new spaces for action, and new options for intervention, as the often-unseen shapes and forms of life in the city becomes visible.
Design, here, is less like a tool and more like a language, a practice that shapes the outcomes and understandings of the things we do. It is not simply an aesthetic prejudice. The ways in which we present ideas and information can sometimes be even more important than the material itself, for better, or more commonly, for worse. The words and pictures we choose make a difference to the way people, including us, imagine their own possibilities of responding to what we say and do.
The goal of the Spatial Information Design Lab is to make partnerships with people and organizations inside and outside of the University. We are most interested in research which requires the independence and rigor of an academic setting (free of the usual politics and pressures of real life situations), and which thrive in an atmosphere of open inquiry, experimentation, and risk-taking, in order to expand the ways in which data is collected and used.
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