Code Across America Civic Hackathon: Let's Take Data Beyond Transparency

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What is Code Across?

CodeAcross is Code for America’s multi-city civic hacking event that takes place in 50+ locations across the world. Developers, designers, researchers, public servants, policy makers and other concerned citizens work together to improve their communities using the people and power of the web.

In the past we’ve built apps, opened new datasets, and inspired tech savvy citizens and civic innovators to transform government services.

Beyond Transparency

This year’s CodeAcross theme is “Beyond Transparency” and is inspired by a book release under the same name. “Beyond Transparency” urges us to think beyond making data open and focus on making it actionable. When local governments, civic technologists, and the community use open data effectively, the outcome is better decision-making, effcient service delivery, and an environment where citizens contribute to the health of their communities. You can read the full book online (http://beyondtransparency.org/) for free.

Who Should Get Involved?

Urbanists, Civic Hackers, Government Staff, Developers, Designers, etc. — anyone with the passion to make their city better. CodeAcross participants of any technical proficiency level can participate. Join us and sign up! Breakfast, lunch, dinner & prizes will be provided. Bring your laptop, come solo, or bring a friend or two.

Hashtag: #codeacross (https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23codeacross) | IRC: #codeforamerica | Forum: brigade (https://groups.google.com/a/codeforamerica.org/forum/#!forum/brigade) | Hangout: TBD

Possible Event Challenges

The Open Data Inventory (https://docs.google.com/a/codeforamerica.org/document/d/1LFEwoVYWrTFM4gb9iKjMlI9n_MF7lDBeD7clsYGYbvo/edit): Take stock of where your city stands on publishing some fundamental datasets.

Open Data Policy (https://docs.google.com/a/codeforamerica.org/document/d/1ZP_qNd6Zf_AmGff3yXT91vnUlOPkXLDb6zFFH75A5h8/edit): Work with your local officials to create an open data policy, or draft an implementation plan or accountability structure for a recently passed policy.

Open Civic Data Scraper (https://docs.google.com/a/codeforamerica.org/document/d/1mf_7M4uiWYM0npdRpk1FxzcWBMh3jUwAIloOZCmao1k/edit): Create scrapers to pull down important civic information to feed the Open Civic Data API.

Where's my School Bus?

Work with or lobby a school system to publish their real time bus location data on the web.

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/school_bus.jpg

Open Incidents

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/crime.jpg Work with crime data publishers, journalists and civic leagues to make crime data easier to discover.

Open Budget

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/opendata.jpg Depploy one or more Open Budget apps in one or more cities to feature on gov web site(s), ex. rvagov.com/budget

Open Building

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/building.jpg Work with cities in the region to publish Open Data about buildings. Imagine new interfaces for Open Building data like EDIFICE (http://edifice.opencityapps.org/).

We the People

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/wethepeople.jpg The White House petition site has transformed the way constituents are heard by their elected officials. Redeploy petitions technology for Hampton Roads.

Open Health Inspection

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/health_inspection.jpg Help provide easier ways for citizens to use public health inspection data.

Library-as-a-Platform

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/hackstack.jpg Use Wiki as a platform for curating local history online. Also, explore the concept of anchoring Open Data operations through the public library.

Transportation

http://codeforhamptonroads.org/codeacross/img/challenge/build/bus.jpg Empower citizens with public transportation data and information, like HRTB.US (http://hrtb.us/). Use traffic data and public info to improve urban planning.

Local Sponsors

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National Sponsors

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