New York City releases digital strategy
New York City has released a new digital roadmap for civic engagement that introduces technology initiatives for modernizing systems within city government and puts a new emphasis on open government data.
The city council plan, called Council 2.0, reflects the work of a variety of experts with the goal of developing public-oriented technology, using open digital platforms and tools for civic engagement.
As part of that plan, the city council will create a public technology team within the council and a partnership with Civic Hall, a local hub for the tech community in New York City, to drive tech initiatives.
Plans are also underway to create an experimental mobile-friendly website, called “Council Labs,” and to study Web and social media analytics to better understand digital interactions with the public.
In addition, the city plans to expand and update a variety of data sources, including a legislative database and application programming interface, or API. The council also plans to create councilwide standards for sharing materials and gathering feedback for proposals and initiatives via established digital channels, such as Twitter and Facebook.
Those familiar with the Council 2.0 plans believe it could serve as a model for other cities considering multifaceted civic engagement plans that are heavily reliant on technology and social media.
