Measuring the Value of Open Government Data – Summer Institute Day 2

By Drew Bush Day two of the 2016 Summer Institute began with presentations from Geothink’s faculty that aimed to provide different disciplinary approaches to evaluating open data. Armed with this information, students spent the rest of the day working in groups to first create measures to value open data, and, second, role-play how differing sectors might use a specific type … Read More

Geothoughts 10: Governing Makerspaces in Toronto with Jordan Bowden

By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our tenth episode of Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this episode, we examine a project funded by McGill University Arts Undergraduate Research Internship Award (ARIA) and Geothink. In it, one student has found a huge variance between the types of Makerspaces … Read More

Geothink Research Gives Inside Look at how Toronto’s Makerspaces are Governed

By Drew Bush Google “Makerspaces” and you might not understand the definition you’re reading. First popular in China and other Asian countries, these do-it-yourself (DIY) spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn have also spread to the United States and, most recently, Canada. Many are located at libraries where they include tools such as 3D printers, software, … Read More

Inside Geothink’s Open Data Standards Project: Standards For Improving City Governance

By Rachel Bloom Rachel Bloom is a McGill University undergraduate student and project lead for Geothink’s Open Data Standards Project. In February, I led a Geothink seminar with city officials to introduce the results of our open data standards project we began approximately one year earlier. The project was started with the objective of assisting municipal publishers of open data … Read More

Envisioning An Environmentally Sustainable Urban Future Using Clean Digital Technologies

  By Drew Bush Imagine a world where electric taxis crowd Montreal’s downtown streets, green buildings efficiently manage energy consumption for Vancouverites, and Toronto’s city leaders monitor differences in neighbourhood surface heat emissions to best position green roofs. Now imagine the environmental and social impacts of such shifts when scaled-up for all of Canada’s cities. That future—one that makes use … Read More

Four Geothink Partner Cities Named to Top 10 on First Ever Canada Open Cities Index

By Drew Bush Numerous city, state, and provincial governments across North America are finding new ways to share government data online. With more than 60 nations now part of the Open Government Partnership, it’s often difficult to determine which initiatives are simply part of a growing fad instead of being true attempts at more responsive and accountable government. In the … Read More