OpenBlock is a flexible open source platform that turns civic data into news and puts news onto a map — right down to a single block.

As a publishing platform, OpenBlock can help news organizations make block-by-block neighborhood data available to their readers. Users can browse by neighborhood, zip code, block etc or by content type – local news, crime reports, restaurant inspections, etc. Data from OpenBlock can be served as geotagged RSS feeds or via the full API for embedded widgets.

OpenBlock began life as the open-source code released by Everyblock.com in June 2009. Originally created by Adrian Holovaty and the Everyblock team, it is now developed as an open-source (GPL) project, led by OpenPlans. Funding for both the initial creation of Everyblock and the ongoing development of OpenBlock was provided by the Knight Foundation.