Big Apple Embraces Broadband July 14th, 2009
Tom Amontree

Digital democracy is alive and well in New York City. Recently, in a speech to the Personal Democracy Forum, Mayor Bloomberg announced a competition inviting tech professionals to develop Big Apple apps that help Internet users navigate vast stores of city data – including events, property sales, recreational centers and restaurant inspections. The contest, which gives programmers access to data from 32 city agencies and commissions, is expected to generate innovative ideas for gathering and presenting information of public interest.

Bloomberg also shared plans to launch 311 Online, a new web portal on NYC.gov offering a searchable database of city services. And a 311 city-services hotline will also be linked to a Twitter account.

No stranger to technology, Bloomberg recently added Facebook Connect to his campaign website. And city agencies, such as The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which was initiated to revitalize lower Manhattan in the aftermath of September 11, have embraced Twitter. The agency uses the microblogging technology for everything from sharing emergency plans related to building deconstruction to highlighting the organization’s assistance plan for small businesses.

From good governance to improving transparency and access to information, broadband holds powerful potential for cities and towns nationwide. New York City is taking innovative steps to unleash broadband’s vast opportunities, and others are also harnessing the exciting capabilities of our information age.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 at 12:07 pm and is filed under Benefits of Broadband, Broadband Now, Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.