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

Gethoughts 8: How Technology is Reshaping Citizen Interactions on Climate Change

By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our eighth episode of Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this episode, we examine what role Canada’s cities play in international solutions to climate change as well as how new technologies shape interactions in neighbourhoods and between neighbours on environmental issues. In … Read More

Geothoughts Conversations 2: The Nature of Democracy in the Age of Open Data

By Drew Bush The largest grant investigating two-way exchanges of locational information between citizens and their city governments, Geothink makes possible countless collaborations and discussions. This month, Geothoughts Conversations brings you a look at one such conversation that took place this past January on the wintry downtown campus of McGill University in Montreal, QC. We sat down with Geothink head … Read More

Geothoughts 7: Unpacking the Current and Future Value of Open Civic Data

By Naomi Bloch Geothink co-applicant researcher Peter A. Johnson is an assistant professor of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. Johnson and his students have been working with Geothink government partners across the country to examine the state of civic open data projects in Canada. In our latest podcast, he discusses how the seemingly desirable ethos of open data … Read More

Geothoughts 6: Who Stands to Gain in Canada's Sharing Economy?

By Naomi Bloch The rise of the web-enabled sharing economy is leading to much hope about potentially new sources of income and new ways for communities to connect and share resources. In the process, however, more consumers appear to be turning to global tech companies to acquire convenient, local services. This July, Alberta residents were warned that drivers who use … Read More

Geothoughts Conversations 1: Debating and Defining the Emergent Field of Crowdsourcing Civic Governance

By Drew Bush One of the hallmarks of any academic conference are the conversations that take place in-between sessions, in the hallways and over meals. In our first Geothink Conversations we aim to give you a flavor of these discussions at Geothink’s now concluded 2015 Summer Institute. This month’s conversation features Geothink Head Renee Sieber, associate professor in McGill University’s … Read More

Geothoughts 3: Edmonton Ascending to the World Stage as a Truly Open City

By Drew Bush In our third edition of Geothoughts, we’re excited to bring you an interview with Yvonne Chen, a strategic planner for the city of Edmonton’s Open City Initiative. You can also subscribe to this podcast by finding it on iTunes. In this interview, we talk with Chen about what it means for Edmonton to be on par with … Read More

Geothoughts 1: What’s in a Plan? Innovation at the Cost of Democracy in Canada

By Drew Bush We’re very excited to present you with our first Geothink.ca Podcast in our series, Geothoughts. You can also subscribe to this Podcast by finding it on iTunes. Our first podcast delves deeper into the opinions of Tracey Lauriault, a researcher at The Programmable City project who specializes in open data and open government in Canada. We explore … Read More