Open data policies continue to evolve at the state and local level, and we’ve been tracking and writing about them as part of the new local initiative here at Sunlight. As more cities, towns, counties, and states take steps to open up information, we’ve seen more and more examples of the broad, powerful impacts of these efforts.

In an upcoming session at the National League of Cities Congress of Cities and Exposition in Seattle, we’ll take part in exploring one impact in particular: how open data, and open data policies, can help increase and improve civic engagement. This session, on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. — noon PST, will look at how cities are already engaging with citizens using technology as well as how open data policies, specifically, can help foster this interaction.

Titled Engaging Residents in Solutions: Using Data and Technology to Improve Local Government, the event will kick off with a panel including Stephen Goldsmith of the Harvard Ash Center (and former mayor of Indianapolis), Mayor Vincent Gray of the District of Columbia, and Alder Scott Resnick from Madison, Wisconsin. I’ll be on the panel, too, representing the Sunlight Foundation.

During the second half of the session, more presenters from across the country will discuss their efforts to open up data and how they have engaged with their communities. After the presentations, the audience can join the speakers at tables to dive even further into the topics.

Sunlight’s local team will also be in Seattle for the duration of the National League of Cities Congress of Cities and Exposition, Nov. 13-16. Will you be in Seattle during the conference? We’d love to connect with you to learn more about your open data and open government experiences. We hope to see you there!

Photo by Flickr user dherrera_96