CityCamp NYC

BetaNYC is thrilled to host CityCamp NYC, taking place on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at CUNY School of Law.

Get your Tickets and Register today!

Join a community of neighbors, public servants, civic leaders, technologists, and advocates for a full-day unconference exploring the intersection of democracy, civil society, government operations, and more.

CityCamp NYC is a space for networking and learning. Let’s build a better city, together! Join the CityCamp NYC mailing list for updates.

Unlike traditional conferences, CityCamp NYC is an unconference: a participant-driven gathering where attendees collaboratively shape the agenda. Facilitated by BetaNYC, the event aims to foster hands-on collaboration and creative problem-solving across various sectors.

Expect sessions on everything from public transportation, how to start a community garden, virtual learning platforms in public schools, library talks, and more. If it touches public life, it has a place at CityCamp NYC!

Who is CityCamp NYC for?
Everyone! CityCamp NYC brings together city residents, civic leaders, students, advocates, policy nerds, government staff, elected officials, technologists, journalists, designers, and more to tackle some of the most pressing issues in New York City and beyond.
CityCamp NYC has these underlying goals:

• Convene community members to share civic insights and ideas.
• Create processes/projects that people will use for further action.
• Foster formal and informal communities of practice, advocacy and action.

Conversations will cover a breadth of topics and civic issues affecting life in our city, including but certainly not limited to:

• Civic Engagement
• Civic Technology
• Economics
• Education
• Environment
• Housing
• Open Government
• Health & Safety
• Transportation
• And more!

Why an Unconference?
BetaNYC grew from organizing community events based upon the “open space” model. We value our Open Data Week partnership, yet can’t always fit in all the things we want to discuss.

As 2025 has brought us unprecedented challenges, we’re bringing back community unconferences to complement our annual community conference. We want to ensure there is ample space for a new generation to learn what makes NYC’s public interest tech community special AND to provide a space where we can deliberate, discuss, and build solidarity with our neighbors across our diverse communities.

While all open to participate and present, CityCamp NYC is not affiliated with New York City nor State government. It is a independently organized community event. Opinions shared at CityCamp NYC are governed by BetaNYC’s Code of Conduct and Anti-harassment policy and are not representative of Fund for the City of New York/BetaNYC nor funders of Fund for the City of New York/BetaNYC’s programs.

How it works
The day begins with a blank page, a schedule (aka “The Wall”) that is empty except for time slots and room locations. After informally brainstorming over breakfast, we will gather for a facilitated Brainstorm-and-Pitch session during which anyone can propose a session by writing the proposal on a session card and submitting it to BetaNYC volunteers stationed at The Wall.

Sessions can take many forms: discussions, workshops, demos, or mini-hackathons, and cover a variety of city-focused topics like civic technology, housing, transportation, and education. Once the initial schedule is built, the first round of sessions kicks off and participants decide which to attend. Participants who propose a session are expected to attend that session and step in as an informal leader.