Surrey Open Data Hackathon
byThe City of Surrey is hosting their first Surrey Open Data Hackathon this month. The concept is to use Open Data (the City’s free and public data sources) to create concepts and innovative tools like web applications, mobile applications, Google Maps mashups, and more.
An example of usage (from Vancouver) could include using the newly accessible park listings to create an iPhone app that shows you all local parks on a map with pins or stickers indicating if they have water fountains, a pool, an off-leash area, and other features. Someone’s already created a map of water fountains in Vancouver, a trash day calendar, and a street parking guide using the City’s open data. Toronto, New York, Washington DC, and Nanaimo also have open data.
The City of Surrey is enabling Hackathoners to come up with new ideas for accessing the information and to engage citizens in their region. Surrey’s open data collection currently consists of property data, aerial imagery, water infrastructure pipes, sanitary infrastructure, drainage, transportation data medians, and environment and topography fish classifications.
Surrey’s Open Data Hackathon will take place Sunday November 20, 2011 from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the new City Centre Library, meeting room #418. Lunch and coffee will be provided. The event is open to everyone with ideas and especially programmers.
