In June, CivSource reported on Public Stuff, a NYC-based civic engagement platform, working with the city of Palo Alto, California on a 311 smartphone app. Now the company along with New York City Comptroller John C. Liu have launched a new “socially connected” app, NYC 311+.
NYC 311+ will allow New Yorkers to write reviews evaluating the condition of government services and report non-emergency service requests to the City’s 311 system for problems such as potholes, graffiti, noise complaints, or broken sidewalks. Additionally, NYC 311+ will make all requests and reviews public, viewable on an interactive map, and sharable on Twitter and Facebook.
NYC 311+ invites New Yorkers to add their voice to the City’s policy-making process by completing brief surveys about the condition of subway platforms, playgrounds, and libraries in their neighborhoods. These reviews will be instantly displayed, and the app will allow users to propose new ways to improve City services. This information will then be sent to the relevant agency or authority.
Public Stuff has also been a Knight Foundation Open Government grantee. Notably, in line with the company’s support for open government initiatives, all of the source code for NYC 311+ has been made available to the public and developers at no cost. The app itself is also free and available for download on both iPhone and Android smartphones.
