GEORGIA GRAHAM

Friday, April 02 2010 ONLINEJOURNALISM 1

crowd-source London’s data, stir

democracy... and make millions
An application strategy for the Greater London Authority that doesn’t
require them to create a single application - why would Boris wait?
In London Apple’s a 4000% return on the
iconic ‘there’s an app investment within a
for that’ slogan is often month.8
true. Apps for smart- More exciting per-
phones and computers haps is the huge range
have been developed of applications that
for bars, for restaurants, were created in such
for historical walking a short space of time -
tours across the city iPhone apps, Facebook
and even realtime tube apps, web apps, mobile
departure times. apps, map mash-ups
There isn’t, however, and a wiki were all en-
an app for London’s tered.9
fledgling democracy. Corbett agrees. He
Power was transferred continued: “DC had a
to London following a terrific Data Catalog,
series of devolution re- with all sorts of good
forms in 19971 and de- data like real-time crime
spite the establishment feeds, pot-hole loca-
of the Greater London tions, school test scores.
Authority (GLA) and What it didn’t have was
the election of a succes- a way to make that data
sion of London May- useful for people. Apps
ors, devolution still for Democracy was the
lacks strong support in solution to making data
England.2 useful for the citizens,
In other cities across Make me an app for that: crowd-source London’s data Credit: Flickr/William Hook businesses and govern-
the world, with a little ment agencies of DC
investment and encour- age Londoners to claim organize in mass.”5 much less interested by turning raw data into
agement government shared ownership of the In the days of old in seeing governments applications.”10
datasets have led to the city’s data. governmental technol- and NGOs build iPhone “We were able to cap-
creation of apps that In September 2008 ogy strategy would re- apps for example, than I italize on years of pent
the chief technology of- quire huge investment am in seeing them pub-
ficer of Washington DC - contracting out the job lish their data and give
decided it was time to to big consultancy firms technologists what they
47 apps incorporate applications and millions of pounds need to build their own “Get people
were created into the state’s technol-
ogy strategy.3 Vivek
in outlay to yield a fi-
nal product of one or
apps.”6
Investment can be excited to
in 30 days Kundra wanted to make
the city’s ‘Data Cata-
two products of dubi-
ous quality. But apps
placed directly at a
grassroots level. The
mash-up
valued at logue’ relevant, useful
and accessible to citi-
have democratized this
practice. Tech devel-
costs for the GLA would
be relatively small –
government
$2million zens, visitors and gov- opments are as likely cash prizes and recog- data”
ernment bodies alike. to take place in a teen- nition – but the rewards
Peter Corbett CEO, ager’s living room as a could be astounding.
track potholes, not just iStrategyLabs who corporate boardroom. In Washington 47 up interest and demand
bars, vacant properties designed the initial In the coming years applications were cre- for civic hacking at this
not just house prices ‘Apps for Democracy’ governments and ated within 30 days7 - a scale and were able to
and in doing so cre- strategy in Washington NGOs should take the set of applications that deliver a program that
ates a stonger sense of DC4 said: “I think tech- lead in providing data the Office of the Chief got people engaged
ownership The experi- nology is the glue that and crowd-sourcing Technology Officer in and excited to mash-up
ence of these other cit- binds the people. I can’t opportunities - rather Washington valued at government data.”11
ies makes a strong case understate how impor- than attempting to cor- $2,000,000. Consider- This strategy could
for accelerating the tant it is the people are ner the vast evolving ing the initial cost to the work in London too.
GLA application strat- able to use free, easy to market in applications. OCTO was as little as In the past 18 months
egy in order to encour- use social technology to Crobett agrees: “I’m £50,000 this represents since Apps for Democ-
GEORGIA GRAHAM
Friday, April 02 2010 ONLINEJOURNALISM 2
racy was launched there Datastore contains over
have been 15 of these 200 different sets of in-
competitions around formation at data.lon-
the world, proving that don.gov.uk. However it
citizens want to col- currently relying on the
laborate with govern- digital media strategy of
ment, and that it is the Channel four – through
government’s respon- the 4iP fund – in order
sibility to provide an to deliver publicly valu-
exciting and innovative able content and serv-
platform to do so. If ices on digital media
The GLA wants the 7.5 platforms.13
odd Londoners to take Currently submis-
ownership of devolu- sions for the London
tion it would be wise to datastore must be made
harness this movement, to 4iP via its website.14
There is no way of
pitching these ‘apps for
“Now it’s democracy’ to and Lon-
don democratic institu-
time for tion directly, and that
includes the GLA.
London to This datastore is only
useful if usable applica-
get up to tions are developed and
if the GLA is commit-
speed” ted to open source data
it should be encourag-
ing the development of
And, if recent an- these apps, and using
nouncements are to be money from its own
believed, the Mayor is pocket to do so. Boris’s data revolution? GLA is still behind the times Credit: Flickr/hammersmithandfulham
not averse to the idea of
offering up its informa-
tion to developers for
the creation of apps.
FOOTNOTES
This January Boris
Johnson claimed to
have ‘fired the starting 1
http://www.devolution.ac.uk/
gun’ of an ‘Information 2
A. Heath, J. Curtice, L. Jarvis, National Identity and Constitutional Change in England, http://
Revolution’ in the capi-
www.devolution.ac.uk/Heath2.htm
tal: “The US has led
the way on this idea of
3
Kim Hart, Tech Blog, Washington Post, November 15, 2008, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/
setting their data free posttech/2008/11/districts_cto_gets_award.html?nav=rss_blog
for anyone - students,
4
http://www.appsfordemocracy.org/guide-to-creating-your-own-apps-for-democracy/
campaigners, software
5
Exclusive Interview with Peter Corbett, CEO iStrategyLabs, Friday, 2nd April, 2010
developers – to use.
6
P. Corbett, Interview I conducted with Peter Corbett, CEO iStrategyLabs, Friday, 2nd April 2010
“Now it’s time for
7
D. Alden, 47 Applications in 30 Days for $50K, http://www.govtech.com/
Britain to get up to gt/559929?topic=117676
speed and I want Lon-
8
Peter Corbett, CEO iStrategyLabs, http://www.istrategylabs.com/2008/11/apps-for-democracy-
don, as the greatest city yeilds-4000-roi-in-30-days-for-dcgov/
in the UK, to be at the 9
http://www.appsfordemocracy.org/application-directory/page/5/ - some highlights include iLive.
forefront of this revolu- at - If you’re a resident of DC interested in learning more about your neighborhood, or if you’re
tion that will not only looking to move to the city, this application serves up essential data pertaining to area businesses
increase democracy, but and crime reports and things of that nature. It’s well designed, intuitive, and quite detailed in the
also provide a potential information it delivers to users, We the People Wiki – A user-controlled DC Data Catalog-based
money-spinner for the wiki. The name speaks for itself, DC Location – Aware Realtime Alerts – An iPhone application
city’s hugely important that alerts you to crime and building permit notices based on your location.
software development 10
P. Corbett, Interview I conducted with Peter Corbett, CEO iStrategyLabs, Friday, 2nd April,
sector.”12 2010
The authority claims 11
Exclusive Interview with Peter Corbett, CEO iStrategyLabs, Friday, 2nd April, 2010
the release of this data 12
B. Johnson, London set for an information revolution,7th January 2010, http://www.london.gov.
is a major part of the uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/london-set-information-revolution
Mayor’s campaign to 13
www.4ip.org.uk.
‘boost transparency 14
London.gov.uk, 4iP mission statement, http://data.london.gov.uk/datastore/4ip-
and accountability’ in developers%E2%80%99-fund-your-chance-secure-funding
the capital, but it does
not go far enough. The