Creating a Better Community Through Text Messages

Chatbots don’t sleep. They can respond to citizen inquiries 24 hours a day. From North Charleston to Singapore, automated conversation platforms are improving the connection between governments and the people they serve by providing an easy channel for information exchange and public consultation.

Efforts to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing also make fishermen safer at sea. Vessel Monitoring Mechanisms (VMM) and electronic catch documentation (eCDT) track the origin of fish headed to market, part of an international effort to ensure sustainable and equitable practices. Data transmission also makes fishermen safer, relaying their locations from hundreds of miles out at sea. In the Philippines, a partnership between Futuristic Aviation and Maritime Enterprise (FAME) and USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnership helps cover subscription fees for FAME radio transmitter service.

Crowdsourcing data allows developers to help those with limited mobility find accessible routes. The AccessMap Seattle project, in collaboration with the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology at the University of Washington and OpenStreetMap, has tested and is improving a map where users can find and edit information about the elevation of rotes, sidewalks, and crosswalks to serve those who are challenged with their mobility.

The Boston Senior Civic Academy teaches older adults how to stay informed about and involved in local politics, covering issues from financial insecurity to dementia-friendly city planning. The program, which serves elders across the city and is part of a world-wide push to create elder-friendly cities, invites older adults to take an active role in politics and advocacy, and gives them the tools to do so.

By participating in the decision-making process, Mexico City residents successfully convinced the government to build a public park instead of an office development. The Parque Imán is 2.4 hectares, includes 163 trees, and the green space can potentially benefit up to 200,000 residents of some city boroughs. While there are some concerns about the soil quality in the park due to the adjacent asphalt plant, the park shows how participation from residents and transparency from the government allowed the public space to be built.

TARU, an Indian thinktank, has found that Indians cities have combined decentralized action and "multi-stakeholder engagement" in public policy to respond to problems of scarcity in water and power as well as climate change-related natural disasters. Municipalities are putting responsibility for improving local lives at the grassroots level; integrating disruptive technologies from the private sector; and fostering collaboration between government and citizens.

Tulsa Public Schools drew on expertise across many sectors and extensive neighborhood input to address the issue of thousands of empty seats in local schools. Through a community-focused process, they were able to mindfully close under-utilized schools and better maximize the community's resources for students.

The Capacity Collaborative and Thriving Earth Exchange are working together to establish volunteer community science hubs to support environmental justice projects in communities around the United States. The organizations connect communities with scientists and experts who volunteer their time to help move their projects forward.

In response to a lack of action from local government, individuals are turning to digital platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook groups to avoid scammers and price gouging in the rental industry. These groups have thousands of members and allow landlords and tenants to interact directly without middlemen interfering and charging unnecessary fees.

Residents of California are working together to crowdsource where COVID-19 vaccinations are being offered, and who they're being offered to. While the state has failed to implement a transparent dissemination strategy, 70 volunteers joined forces to create a spreadsheet that keeps track of what clinics are offering the shot and what parameters must be met to receive it. Users have reported that they were able to schedule an appointment because of this effort.