BetaNYC’s Civic Innovation Lab supports the tech and data needs of New Yorkers in a few ways. We build a curriculum that empowers New Yorkers to harness Open Data. Learn more about how we integrate it into the NYC Open Data Ambassadors and our Civic Innovation Fellowship for CUNY students. We also build data-driven tools and resources that meet the needs of New Yorkers. We do this through a free, help-desk service called RADAR. Community organizations and local offices are invited to use this service to request our support. We have completed over 230 RADARs to date!
Below is a listing of some of the past curriculum, tools and prototypes we have built and supported.
NYC Open Data Curriculum
Since advocating for the NYC’s Open Data Law, it has been our mission to make sure New Yorkers know what NYC Open Data is and how they can use it to support their communities. All of our teaching materials are under Creative Commons — check them out here.
Update: This curriculum has been adapted and is now part of a program we launched with the Office of Technology and Innovation called the Open Data Ambassadors.
BoardStat
BoardStat is an interactive tool designed with and for community boards to analyze 311 data in specific NYC community districts.
BoardTrack
BoardTrack – BETA – is a community board attendance tracking tool and data standard that helps community board staff submit attendance records to a Borough President’s community board liaisons. In turn, liaisons can quickly analyze attendance history.
Boundaries Map
The NYC Boundaries Map – BETA – is a tool for viewing and querying overlapping administrative boundaries in NYC. Various governmental bodies at the city, state, and federal level divide NYC’s geography into a series of districts.
Community Board Database
Community Board Database (CBDB) is a solution for Community Boards to organize administrative information and track their district’s responsibilities.
Research and Data Assistance Requests (RADAR)
Research and Data Assistance Requests – BETA – is a service to assist government employees in the Manhattan Borough President’s Office and Community Board offices with various technical and analytical aspects of their work. Our Data Assistance Requests form helps us gather your challenges and helps us track your requests. Visit it at beta.nyc/radar.
Batch Geocoder for NYC
A web tool for easy batch geocoding (getting latitude, longitude, and other geographic data from an address). Allows for QA of locations, and correcting of failed queries. Using NYC using Planning Lab’s GeoSearch and Pelias and inspired by Erik Willems’ Batch geocoder for journalists.
Community Board Votes
An Airtable template created with community boards to meet their bylaws around executive committee and resolutions elections during virtual meetings.
Topographic Address Assignment Database
A web interface and ArcGIS Online Database to manage and see address assignment statues for the Manhattan Topographical Bureau.
SLAM – State Liquor Authority Map with NYC 311 Noise Complaints and Sidewalk Cafe Permits
SLA Mapper (SLAM) – BETA – is a tool that aggregates data that community boards often have to gather in order to review liquor license applications and sidewalk cafe applications. Displaying this information in a unified view saves community boards considerable time and resources.
Internet Access Points / Wifi Hotspots
wifi.beta.nyc – is a web map that aggregates public, and private wireless internet access points. Displaying this information allows residents, and people without internet access to find the nearest locations to connect their devices to. As the internet is turning into a fundamental public utility, we are hoping these bridge some gaps in access.
Archived Projects
CityGram.NYC
A notifications platform for subscribing to your city, whether it’s consumer complaints, 311 service requests, vehicle collisions, or restaurant inspections in your area — sign up to find out about the things that matter to you where they matter to you.
AHV Dashboard
The After Hours Variance Dashboard is a tool to track the effect of after-hours variances in New York City community districts. The tool empowers community boards and district offices to advocate for better quality of life conditions in their districts.
Tenants Map
TenantsMap shows residential buildings with rent-regulated units throughout Manhattan, and their volume of housing safety-related 311 service requests, which is updated daily. Viewing housing-related 311 service requests (Heat/Hot Water, Paint/Plaster, Plumbing, and Unsanitary Conditions) overlaid on rent-regulated buildings helps community organizations, boards, and elected identify buildings where tenants are at risk of harassment and/or displacement.
Community Data Portal
Data.Beta.NYC
This is a community data portal. If you scrape data and want to share it, please upload it. (This site is currently being upgraded)