Watch:
Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America, gave a presentation at TEDxPhilly conference. She believes that the value of a city reaches far beyond its borders.
The increase in open dialogue between local government and citizens has a positive global impact on everything from environmental awareness and economic equality (the Occupy movement) to open data and citizen access to technology. Cities have not only become better for the people that live in them, but better for the planet.
We have a connection here that’ s broken in the larger scheme, but it works at the local level. We care, and it’ s important that we care about government, because government really is the way we do things collectively that we can’ t do individually ‘¦ The challenges of this century are too great to not be acting together.
Code for America matches web professionals with US cities to reboot local services. Code for America funds fellowships that bring technologists into municipal offices to sort databases, build apps and unleash data. Philadelphia is one of two cities to be part of the program two years running.
Via: govfresh.com