Cities using technology to cull ideas from citizens

Associated Press

NEW YORK

In a city of millions, how many people go knocking on the door of city hall?

Most citizens know that, at least in theory, they can bring their problems and ideas to elected officials. But in reality, speaking at a public hearing, calling a complaint line or writing a letter can be time-consuming and seem to make little impact, with small-scale concerns getting bogged down in dense bureaucracies.

Now, New York and other cities around the country are trying to un-bog the bureaucracy. Following the example of private companies, they’re employing technology to harness the wisdom of citizens, make use of their skills and create virtual civic forums.

New York soon will be asking the public to make suggestions online and by text message about how to make the city greener and more sustainable; people who submit ideas will be invited to join with others to make similar changes happen.

In California, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District recently released an iPhone app that will alert citizens trained in CPR when someone nearby is having a heart attack.

San Francisco city employees joined forces online to propose and vote on thrifty ideas, leading the city to stop paying $900 a month for the music callers heard when they were put on hold. New York City began a similar employee program last month.

Government officials tout such projects as money- savers that increase efficiency and improve transparency. Citizen advocates for the programs argue they offer something deeper — an opportunity to reignite civic responsibility and community participation.

In some ways, the new approach simply is a high-tech version of an old concept, says Ben Berkowitz, the CEO of SeeClickFix, which helps citizens post pothole-type complaints and track whether they’ve been addressed.

“It’s participatory democracy,” he says. “Open government ... is something that was laid out by Thomas Jefferson pretty early on. This is just a way to realize that vision.”

In recent years, businesses have used the Internet to cull the wisdom of crowds to do everything from design shoes to publish books, a practice known as “crowdsourcing.” As the approach has caught on in the civic sphere, entrepreneurs and activists who support it have begun calling it “open government” or “Gov 2.0.”

“The solutions to urban problems are not just the city government handing down ideas from on high. It’s about collaborative citizenship,” says Jake Barton, founder of Local Projects, which is partnering with New York City to gather citizen input on environmental improvements.