Starting an open data project? You’ll need to investigate “who” is out there, “what” data they might need, and “why” they care.
Continue readingSunset and sunrise: a farewell announcement from Open Cities Director Stephen Larrick
Sunlight Open Cities Director Stephen Larrick practices some personal and professional transparency, announcing his departure from Sunlight, sharing a retrospective on his three years with the team, and bidding a fond farewell as he passes the baton to new Open Cities Director, Katya Abazajian.
Continue readingSiblings or silos: How do open data and FOIA work together?
We’re conducting new research to understand how adopting open data policies affects the number of FOIA requests cities receive, who submits requests, and the type of information citizens seek.
Continue readingBehind the curtain of smart cities: where do we stand?
As cities deal with the byproducts of increased urbanization: overpopulation, increases in energy consumption, and overall resource management, they have looked... View Article
Continue readingBEGA amendment will hinder public education advocacy
This post was initially published by the DC Open Government Coalition. As a parent raising children in a city whose... View Article
Continue readingA new pilot to put open contracting best practices into action
Contracting in U.S. cities is a big deal. How big? Consider this: the District of Columbia’s Office of Contracting and Procurement manages the purchase of nearly $5.6 billion in goods and services — and some of those are the most direct ways a city can improve the lives of its residents.
Continue readingWe’re collecting user personas for open data — send us yours!
We’re collecting all existing examples of cities’ user personas for open data and government websites, and developing best practices for other cities that are looking to create them.
Continue readingRecording: “Unseal the Deal! How open contracting can improve your city’s procurement process”
Yesterday we hosted "Unseal the Deal! How open contracting can improve your city’s procurement process," a webinar with our partners from the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP), the Harvard Kennedy School's Government Performance Lab (GPL), and the City of Glendale, Arizona to discuss how open contracting can help cities get more bids, better bids, more contractors, and better outcomes—all while mitigating risks of corruption and improving trust and integrity—through an open approach to procurement. If you missed it, the recording of the webinar and presentation slides are now available.
Continue readingWhat we’re looking forward to at 2018’s Code for America Summit
Sunlight’s Open Cities team is headed out to Oakland, CA this week for the 2018 Code for America Summit. If you are working on open government or open data in your city and are coming to the Summit, we want to talk to you! Please come say hello — we are friendly and would love to learn about your work. We’re also looking forward to learning new ideas and hearing from some of the leaders in this field. In particular, here’s what our team members are excited about and looking forward to.
Continue readingCities should be smart about smart cities agreements
One thing all cities MUST do, and three questions to ask before signing an agreement with a smart cities vendor.
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