In September, dozens of people turned out for the Livable Streets Initiative's first bike rack hunt in North Brooklyn, where we identified about 70 spots that are begging for some nice bike parking. The locations will be submitted to DOT as a bulk order for bike racks. But first, we're raising the stakes.
With your help, LSI and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG) will suggest 300 locations for new bike racks in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Finding good locations for bike parking is tougher than you'd think. The trick is to verify that all 300 spots are actually suitable for racks. This handy "How to Get Your NYC Bike Racks" Streetfilm by Robin Urban Smith explains it all.
So here's the plan: This Sunday, you're invited to join us on a "Tag or Treat" ride. We're going to spread the word by scouring the streets for bikes and attaching notes that explain how to suggest bike rack locations using the FixCity: Bike Racks site. Then on November 22, we're going to collect all the locations submitted through the website and put on a contest. Top prize goes to the person who verifies the most locations as suitable for bike racks (details to come).
If you can't make it to either event, you can still suggest a rack location and verify that it is appropriate online. And starting Monday, if you have a smart phone you'll be able to submit rack suggestions via email, on the spot. Simply snap a photo and send it to racks@fixcity.org. Include the address and name of the nearest establishment in the subject line and any further description in the message body (use the format at right). But first, watch the Streetfilm so you can suggest spots that DOT will actually take advantage of.
The bulk order for North Brooklyn is a pilot project of FixCity. If you'd like to get more involved in this bulk order or organize another one in your neighborhood, contact info@fixcity.org.
Are you a web developer with Python and Geo chops, looking for a fun side project? Even better, are you also a resident of Greater Boston, interested in city planning and civic engagement? Do you know someone who is?
SCC is seeking a talented, civic-minded volunteer developer to make the project happen. Here’s the full job description (short link: http://bit.ly/1PkM17). The developer will work very closely with SCC from start to finish, with guidance from TOPP’s lead developers. Please pass it on!
We’re still in the process of collecting all of the material from the DevCamp, structuring it on the wiki, and recharging the mailing list to coordinate next steps for developing the API. For now, this video provides a good summary of some of the things that were covered at the event. The video is broken into groups which have wiki pages to organize their further development:
I hope it was no surprise that my keynote at FOSS4G this week was partly about open source business models and the whole product, because that’s what I’ve been thinking about (and to an extent, blogging about here) for the last six months or so.
And the good news (to me) is that the concept appears to be striking a chord among right folks: managers and system integrators. We are getting lots of good feedback at the booth from those folks in addition to the regular stream of highly technical folks who are happy to chew the fat with our team of core developers.
On the business side, I think the system integrators are the really important ones. They can move from coming to clients with three or four different projects pulled from different places with different support options to coming in with just one infrastructure piece, the OpenGeo Suite. And on top of that, they can make use of the facilities of GeoServer and GeoExt to build nice tightly focussed business apps. The sales proposition for them with conservative customers gets a lot cleaner: the business app the client wants plus a single infrastructure piece with simple support story.
I have also been hearing tales of woe about the local distributors for the Leading Brand elbowing out independents for services work, which will seed a nice collection of disgruntled folks looking for an alternative.
So the challenge comes back to us: execute, execute, execute, on the technical side of polishing the Suite into a whole product worthy of the mainstream market, and on the business side signing up local partners to carry the message forward.
On Wednesday, Phil Ashlock of TOPP Labs appeared on Brian Lehrer Live. Along with Chris Schoenfeld of StationStops.com, Phil spoke about transit applications, Open 311 and opportunity for open government initiatives to "unleash an unlimited number of ways that data can be used."
The video is available here, and Chris and Phil appear starting at minute 42.
Tonight at 7:30 EST, tune in as Brian Lehrer interviews Philip Ashlock of TOPP Labs. You'll be able to view the webcast here.
6:30pm update from Philip Ashlock:
I just came back from the studio taping and thought I'd mention a few things I didn't have a chance to cover during the interview.
One good example of civic technology we're developing is trip planning software for public transportation. We've worked with Portland's TriMet to provide their trip planner and we're bringing other cities together to share and collaborate on technology like this with the Open Trip Planner project. You can find more information about our technology projects on this website, on the TOPP Labs website, and on the OpenGeo website.
Also, The Open Planning Project helps bring developer communities together to better support their efforts. We've done this with the other transit developers in the region, including Chris Schoenfeld of StationStops, with the New York Public Transit Data Summits and NyTransit.org. We're now working to facilitate a healthy and productive dialogue between these developers and the MTA. We're following this same model for the Open311 initiative by bringing 311 developers and city governments from across North America together to share technology and best practices to create better more connected city services.
On the subject of opening up city data, it's worth noting that both Vancouver, BC and Portland, Oregon have recently passed legislation that makes open data and open technology a core part of city government.
We've been busy this week, both in the office and around town:
Today, Nick Grossman of TOPP Labs has been tweeting from the Open Cities Conference, where he spoke about participatory planning. Tomorrow, Nick is playing moderator at "Using Powerful Web Apps to Build a Livable Streets Movement" panel at Walk 21. For those attending, it's the Thursday 2pm session in Room 802. Looking forward to great discussion with innovators Joe Froehlich of UbiGreen, Ben Berkowitz of SeeClickFix, Nathan Freiter of The Extraordinairies, and Seth Priebatsch of SCVNGR.
Kim Wiley Schwartz ofLivable Streets Education is speaking at Walk 21's "Creating and Sustaining Successful Safe Routes to Schools Programs." The Safe Routes to Schools movement has made great strides over the past few years, and this session promises best practice ideas for schools and program strategists. Thursday 4pm session in Room 914.
Also, don't forget to pick up your own copy of the current GOOD
Magazine, where TOPP has been highlighted as a member of the 'GOOD
100'. We're beaming with pride!
If you're encountering good ideas on how citizens can take part in better transportation and urban planning, spread the word by including #civichacking in your tweets.
If you can't make it to either event, you can still suggest a rack location and verify that it is appropriate online. And starting Monday, if you have a smart phone you'll be able to submit rack suggestions via email, on the spot. Simply snap a photo and send it to racks@fixcity.org. Include the address and name of the nearest establishment in the subject line and any further description in the message body (use the format at right). But first, watch the Streetfilm so you can suggest spots that DOT will actually take advantage of. 
