The Open Planning Project

On October 24th, The Open Planning Project will host Open311 DevCamp in their NYC office. Register to attend via Eventbrite. This is a DevCamp style un-conference to coordinate a standard specification for 311 services. Washington D.C's 311 API will be a major case-study for developing a more universal 311 API. In general, this DevCamp will be an opportunity to discuss and develop what's needed to make 311 services more accessible and for cities to share knowledge for mutual benefit. The event is intended for developers, project managers, and policy makers involved with 311 services. We encourage those involved with 311 services from all cities to take part. If you cannot attend in person, please sign up as a remote attendee and we'll provide you with information about how to connect to the DevCamp remotely.

The Livable Streets Initiative has been making the news a lot recently:

• Pavement to Parks - New York Times
  
• Interview with Aaron Naparstek - Pedal Power
  
• More Schools Encourage Commuting by Bike - New York Times

 More press clips are available at our Press Room, and we are of course happy to talk to members of the media. Drop us an email.

OpenGeo’s had a busy month as we have been ramping up to drive our technology and business in exciting new directions. Here is a quick preview of what is in store for us:

The OpenGeo Suite Installer. In an effort to bring open source geospatial software to new markets, we are unifying the OpenGeo Suite into one tight package. Soon we will be releasing a distribution of PostGIS, GeoServer, and GeoWebCache with a easy installer, an improved data importing interface, and an integrated Styler application based on Openlayers and GeoExt.

The GeoNode. In collaboration with the World Bank’s Central American Probabilistic Risk Assessment (CAPRA), we have been building the next generation of SDI technology with modern web principles in mind. This summer we have built a simple data clearing house with GeoServer and GeoExt. Soon we will extend it with reporting tools useful for disaster risk management experts in the field, as well as uploading and styling workflows. Keep an eye out here for updates on the GeoNode’s technical and community development.

Training and FOSS4G. We are improving our training curriculum and giving several workshops on our stack. We will have a strong presence at FOSS4G this year, and are eager to spread the news and knowledge of our latest open source developments, like GeoExt, to the rest of the open source geospatial community.

It’s an exciting time. The values that have been championed for decades by the free software movement — values of sharing, participation, and freedom — have over the past several years spread well beyond the confines of computer software and are permeating everything from the arts to government.

That’s why the Software Freedom Law Center, TOPP, LimeLabs and Open Kulture are joining together to celebrate Software Freedom Day in style with a roofdeck party. But unlike previous years, this celebration isn’t solely for free software hackers. It’s also for free culture supporters, new media activists, artists, musicians, government transparency advocates, and all others who are helping to spread the values of the free software movement.

And this isn’t just a one-time party. It’s also the start of something even more exciting. As James Vasile of SFLC writes:

In New York City, Software Freedom Day will mark the launch of a series of quarterly Open Source / Open Culture events designed to engage free software hackers, creative commons artists, open government activists, and open science innovators. We want to bring together the diverse members of free and open source culture and provide a platform and an audience with which to collaborate and create.

The event on September 19th will feature lightning talks by a range of speakers (including Debian Developer Micah Andersen, Bkrpr’s Ian Sullivan, Figment’s Kevin Balktick MakerBot’s Bre Pettis and Sita Sings the Blues auteur Nina Paley) designed to address the multifaceted efforts of open culture in New York. These speakers will cover a variety of topics, but all share one theme: currently active projects that are going to change the world. The idea is “From Software to Everywhere”. Each talk is an invitation to participate.

Here’s the scoop:

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19th from 6pm to 10pm
WHERE: The Open Planning Project, 148 Lafayette St, penthouse and roofdeck (map)

Please note that while all are welcome, an RSVP is required. If you’re coming to the event, make sure to RSVP to joshlevy.ny AT gmail.

In a few minutes, Philip Ashlock from The Open Planning Project will be discussing Open311 at the Gov 2.0 Expo Showcase.

The Expo has been great so far, and Tim O'Reilly's opening remarks definitely set the stage for a discussion of 311 as an open civic platform. You can follow the live tweeting here.