“Ideas meeting the reality of government” – Tim O’Reilly on CityCamp’s purpose

“Government is a vehicle to get stuff done,” he said.  I agree.  I’m spending the day at CityCamp Chicago today, learning more about new initiatives to create open data streams and put them to use from the federal to the very local level.  An incredible group of people – looks like a very productive weekend ahead.

What are the challenges we face to achieving open local data?

- data-holders don’t “get it” – don’t understand why they should open data to collaboration

- creating tools takes resources

- building grassroots support so the newly created resources “stick”

Goals:

- Make cities more efficient

- Make information more easily available to citizens and other agencies

- enable citizens who can do it better/faster/cheaper to make things happen that will make our city better

- Get to “have you released your data set yet”?

- “find pockets of new innovative people in government and nurture them” – CIO of SF