Civic Innovation
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Civic Infrastructure
I was struck by this pairing on 31st Street in Long Island City. Fresh flowers with a sign written on a USPS envelope warning people not to place garbage on the curb between Wednesday and Sunday or they will receive a $100 fine. We all find our ways with the sacred and mudane.
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Anatomy of a Service Request Type: Tree Trimming
The City of Chicago does not yet publish 311 service request data for tree trim requests, although I do expect that to be published soon Meantime, I took some photos of the process here. This tree trim operation is in the 2000 block of North Damen. This guy has the tools of the trade: rake,…
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Toward Better Tools For Context in Civic Data Using Private Data Sources
Now that civic data is a normal part of the atmosphere in Chicago, it’s time to start mining private data sources to make automated context a natural part of our Web infolives. By that, I mean the addition of information about a subject that is generated without human intervention. My experience as the person responsible…
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New Walgreens in the Old Noel State Bank Building at 1601 N. Milwaukee (corner of North, Milwaukee, and Damen in Bucktown/ Wicker Park)
NOTE: This post is an aggregation of information on 1601 North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, which is currently being made into a Walgreens. This info was compiled mainly via Web searches and deep dives into public databases. It serves as a specific manifestation of a broader idea– that the City of Chicago contains a mountain…
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Needed in the Civic Apps World: Less Data, More Love
Last week I helped announce the finalists for the Community Round of the Apps For Metro Chicago contest. Before reading the list of the 10 worthy apps that have moved on to the finals, I shared some thoughts (video here) about the current state of the movement around civic apps. Here they are, written down:…