- October 17, 2014
- Civic Data
Each week, we bring you a summary of what happened this week on our site, on Twitter, and in the wider world of municipal data. Suggest stories on Twitter with #ThisWeekInData.
Municipal agencies across the country are experimenting with a social media network called Nextdoor, which recently launched a new feature allowing governments to send targeted crime and safety alerts to specific segments of a city. A total of 350 agencies in 250 cities are said to be using the new tool, State Tech Magazine reports.
Out in California, Next City examines L.A. County’s efforts to expand a digital system that’s been described as a “Match.com” for providing housing and other services to the homeless.
NDNet takes a look at the City of Chicago’s various data-driven efforts and proposals, including the data platform WindyGrid, the sensors network known as the “Array of Things,” and predictive policing.
The knowledge network GovLoop highlights five well-designed and user-friendly city websites in municipalities across the country. GovLoop’s picks: Austin, Riverside, Raleigh, Tampa, and Denver.
The nonprofit Aspen Institute released a report on the promise of public libraries in the digital age. Among other recommendations, the report called for closer collaboration between libraries and local government, as well as the adoption of alternative revenue models, to ensure the financial health of libraries in the years to come.
New from our team:
Writing for our Regulatory Reform for the 21st Century City project, Rosemary Krimbel, Chicago’s special deputy for regulatory reform, reflects on the difficulty of culture change in government — and why that might not be a bad thing.
We’ve posted video clips of Stephen Goldsmith and Susan Crawford’s recent speaking appearances for their new book, The Responsive City: Engaging Communities Through Data-Smart Governance. In recent weeks, Crawford spoke at the Code for America Summit in San Francisco, Goldsmith spoke to Doug Gavel at the Harvard Kennedy School, and both authors spoke to New America in Washington D.C.
