Public Stuff
I just want to take a minute to rave about a new (?) web idea called Public Stuff. Philadelphia, where as you know I live, has it via their new 311 interface between the city and the inhabitants. I spotted it and just thought I'd try it out, thinking, it certainly couldn't make things worse than Philadelphia's past performance.
So far, it's excellent! I've been a violation-reporting maniac-- and believe me, there's a lot that requires fixing in Philadelphia. Sewer odor, graffiti, illegal dumping, unsafe sidewalks, a derelict house that needs demolishing-- everything has been responded to promptly, notifying me by email at every step. A work crew was sent out for the sewer odor. The detached side cover of a fire hydrant was reattached. The other stuff apparently takes a little longer-- inspecting the sidewalks and sending a citation to the owner (frequently an out-of-state landlord around here)-- but I bet it's happening. When they were unable to find the address in question, they either closed the report and told me to resubmit it with the correct address, or they commented on the service request asking for more detail, and either way I was emailed promptly.
It's also an app. And photos can be submitted. Finally, an easy way to make civic involvement public and responsive!
So far, it's excellent! I've been a violation-reporting maniac-- and believe me, there's a lot that requires fixing in Philadelphia. Sewer odor, graffiti, illegal dumping, unsafe sidewalks, a derelict house that needs demolishing-- everything has been responded to promptly, notifying me by email at every step. A work crew was sent out for the sewer odor. The detached side cover of a fire hydrant was reattached. The other stuff apparently takes a little longer-- inspecting the sidewalks and sending a citation to the owner (frequently an out-of-state landlord around here)-- but I bet it's happening. When they were unable to find the address in question, they either closed the report and told me to resubmit it with the correct address, or they commented on the service request asking for more detail, and either way I was emailed promptly.
It's also an app. And photos can be submitted. Finally, an easy way to make civic involvement public and responsive!