Twitter, iPhones, and new sites like SeeClickFix make it increasingly easy for citizens and governments to communicate. Along with newly available data sets, these "Gov 2.0" apps may signal a new era of active citizens and responsive governments.
Whether alerting governments to potholes and graffiti or finding the safest route home from work, an explosion of "Gov 2.0" apps and newly available municipal datasets make it easier than ever for citizens to find out what's happening locally and alert governments to problems in their neighborhoods. At the same time, these tech tools make it easy for governments to track citizens' concerns and requests and respond promptly.
"'I see [these applications] as the death of a passive relationship with government,' said Clay Johnson, director of Sunlight Labs, a group promoting Gov 2.0 apps."
From San Francisco to New York a number of larger cities are indeed embracing mobile and web-based technologies to make citizen engagement easier, though some cities and smaller towns are hesitant to take the plunge.
Thanks to Rebecca Sanborn Stone
FULL STORY: Cities embrace mobile apps, 'Gov 2.0'
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Students review municipal planning department websites in cities with more than 50,000 people to identify strengths and weaknesses. This post shares examples of the use of websites for information sharing and engagement.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
