Creative Class Exchange blogger and Martin Prosperity Institute affiliate David Eaves has made it happen in Vancouver.
A wealth of city knowledge is now online as Vancouver becomes one of the most open cities in the world. The information means a click on your smart phone could get you to an open parking space, or a free drink of water.
David Eaves helped city hall create the open source motion, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, “For hundreds of years, cities have been collecting all sorts of data, everything from what the maps of the city are to the location of drinking fountains, but it’s always stayed locked behind city wall because it was written down on paper and so you actually had to go to city hall to access it.” While much of the information seems innocuous, web developers can use it for all sorts of applications. …
When Vancouver passed the open source motion in May, it became the first city to do so, though cities like Washington and San Francisco have already been providing similar information.
The full story is here. Vancouver’s website here. And Eaves’ own report here.