The document discusses how open government through open data can help address issues cities are facing with budgets, meeting needs, and decreasing trust. It argues that open data portals can help make siloed government data more accessible and enable citizens and developers to build apps, share information, and solve local problems in a more transparent and participatory way. It encourages actions like liberating datasets, promoting reuse of public data, signing an open government pledge, and developing open data initiatives and pilot projects.
2. CITIES IN CRISIS
84% of cities face significant financial difficulties
92%expected to have trouble meeting citizens’
needs
?
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7. SEPARATE,
SILOED DATA
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8. THE
SOLUTION
Open Government
Cities using the power of the web to
make government work better. Saving
government resources, money and
improving government services
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9. PRINCIPLES
INSTRUMENTAL VALUES CORE VALUES
OPENNESS PUBLIC SERVICE
EFFICIENCY STRONG COMMUNITIES
PARTICIPATION SOCIAL INCLUSION
INNOVATION QUALITY OF LIFE
STARTUP ETHOS SUSTAINABILITY
COLLABORATION “FUTURENESS”
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10. HE OPPORTUNITY IS NOW
social
web
open
data
interest
in public
service
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11. GOVERNMENT SHOULD
OPEN DATA
Separate, Open
siloed data Data
Portal
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12. To share: copy and distribute information
To create:build civic apps and tools
To adapt: modify, transform, mash-up
No imposed restrictions on use
THE POSSIBILITIES ARE
ENDLESS
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17. WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Liberate datasets for public use
Promoting the reuse of public data by the public,
non-profit and the private sector
Sign the Open Government Pledge
Develop an Open Data Initiative
Pilot projects for civic innovation
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Our cities are in crisis. Budget deficits, aging workforce, and outdated technology. The current way cities solve problems isn’t working. And the hope that there had to be a better way. Technology is rapidly changing, we need to move with it where it has been proven to serve the public interest.
Steep innovation curve that has changed our lives as social beings and consumers over the last ten yearsNot just more convenient, also more connected and capable of acting as networksBut our experiences as citizens really hasn’t changed or at least citizens of our governmentMany particularly young people think of themselves as citizens of the Internet more than of their own government The gap between this innovation curve in the public sector and the private sector is DANGEROUS…it destroys trust between the people and the institution that is supposed to serve us all
Steep innovation curve that has changed our lives as social beings and consumers over the last ten yearsNot just more convenient, also more connected and capable of acting as networksBut our experiences as citizens really hasn’t changed or at least citizens of our governmentMany particularly young people think of themselves as citizens of the Internet more than of their own government The gap between this innovation curve in the public sector and the private sector is DANGEROUS…it destroys trust between the people and the institution that is supposed to serve us all
Comparatively, the government IT market is the largest technology marketOver 50x bigger than iPhone appsOver 10x bigger than the video games industryLargely undisrupted, held by old vendorsGovernments want a change
Open governments harness the creative potential of programmers, non-profits and community activists to develop valuable civic tools powered by public data which help government better serve the public. Open governments make sure public information is shared and that anyone can find, access and use it. Open governments promote collaborative problem-solving by encouraging city departments to share information with fellow departments, citizens, and community groupsOpen governments leverage technology to ensure accountability and engage citizens in government decision-making.
There are powerful trends in society and technology that could be leveraged for city governments. First are the developments in the, which organizations have used to be more innovative, efficient, and dynamic. Second is the increased interest in public service. The good news is that technology is making it possible to fundamentally reframe the function of government,
It’s about leveraging modern platforms to manage the flow of information and enable government services to be deployed rapidly and inexpensively. Today, billions of dollars are spent on maintaining fragmented channels, redundant interfaces, unnecessary infrastructure and armies of consultants building custom one-off applications to disseminate and share information within government and with citizens. Open Data is a cultural change that questions the viability of this prevailing model and provides a platform-oriented alternative based on access, reusabilityand social enrichment.
Open governments use technology to engage citizens. Tweet my council allows residence to easily report problems and questions to their city council member. Using their hashtag and geolocator, they will be able to connect you directly to your city councillor over twitter.Textizen allows city representatives to post questions to which anyone can reply via text message. Citizens and community stakeholders can share their opinions on city decisions with ease.
Civic tools built on open data are revolutionizinghow government services and information are delivered. These apps simply make life easier! EveryBlock is the best way to follow neighborhood news and connect with your neighbors, now used in 16 U.S. cities. At EveryBlock you will find neighbor messages, civic information (i.e. building permits, crime reports, restaurant inspections), media mentions, neighborhood focused fun (i.e. restaurants, music venues etc.)NextBus is an app that delivers real-time transit information (i.e bus schedules and routes) Open 311 dashboard is an online platform for citizens to report non-emergency issues that concern public space and services. These reports are location tracked and are then routed to the relevant authority to address the problem. The information is available for anyone to see and to add, enabling crowdsourced reporting on important civic issues.
Open data can save time and money by eliminating data entry duplication among departments. Governments can make better use of scarce technology dollars by working together to solve common problems. Civic commons helps city governments reduce IT spending by sharing solutions,knowledge, and best practices. It will make it easier for jurisdictions at all levels to deploy low-cost, reusable software, using open standards, open protocols, and open source code wherever possible. Pooling resources reduces costs and avoids duplicated effort; equally importantly, it helps make civic IT expertise more cumulative and portable across jurisdictions, for civil servants, for citizens, and for vendors.