NYC Digital Roadmap 2013

New york City’s Digital
Leadership
2013 Roadmap
The City of New York

New York City’s
Digital Leadership
2013 roadmap
city of new york

New York City's Digital Leadership V
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel
mayor’s office of media and entertainment
Commissioner Katherine L. Oliver
First Deputy Commissioner Todd Asher
Allie Kleva, Associate Commissioner, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships
nyc digital
Rachel S. Haot, Chief Digital Officer
Ivy Li, Digital Communications Director
Grace Cheung, Media Center Liaison
Seema Shah, Strategic Partnerships Manager
Table of Contents
Progress Report VI
Introduction by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg 1
The Roadmap: Achievements in Review
Access 2
Education 8
Open Government 18
Engagement 26
Industry 42
Digital Cities Symp osium 50
The Roadmap: Looking ahead 52
Next St eps for Acc ess 55
Next St eps for Education 56
Next St eps for Open Government 57
Next St eps for Engagement 58
Next St eps for Industry 60
Concl usion by the Chief Digital Officer 62
Download the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Roadmaps at nyc.gov
Special Thanks To
Brooklyn Public Library
Department of Education
Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications
Department of Parks and Recreation
Department of Small Business Services
The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
Mayor’s Office
New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York Public Library
NYC 311
Office of Emergency Management
Queens Library
Samantha Grassle
New York City’s Digital Leadership: 2013 Roadmap
Copyright © 2013 The City of New York
Design by The Letter Office

Introduction by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
“The future of the global economy,
in every industry, is tied to technology
— and the future for cities that
recognize this fact is very bright.”
In 2011, our Administration introduced the City of New York’s first
Digital Roadmap with a simple goal: making New York the nation’s
number one digital city, in both the private and public sectors. In just
two years, we have made tremendous progress towards that goal.
New York City’s Digital Leadership: 2013 Roadmap serves as a prog-ress
report, outlining the results to date of 40 initiatives. Across New
York —
in our schools, libraries, and community centers — our digital
programs are increasing affordable broadband access and helping
people improve their technological literacy and computer skills. The
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Roadmap also details our first Digital Cities Symposium, which we convened to share these kinds of proven ideas
with other innovative cities around the world.
The future of the global economy, in every industry, is tied to technology — and the future for cities that recognize
this fact is very bright. Here in New York, our Administration has established a network of business incubators,
including tech incubators. We also launched an entrepreneurial fund for tech companies, which has provided seed
money to the first winner of our “Big Apps” competition.
In the private sector, tech startups and established companies now employ more than 120,000 New Yorkers, an
increase of 30 percent since 2005. Once Cornell and the Technion Institute of Technology open their world-class
applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island, we will attract even more talented engineers and computer scientists.
And, after they graduate, we look forward to them starting their own businesses right here in the five boroughs.
Thanks to these efforts and more, New York City is strengthening our position as a leader of the 21st century
economy. As we strive to keep our city a capital of tech innovation and entrepreneurship,
I invite you to learn more about our work in the 2013 Roadmap.
Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor
New York City's Digital Leadership 1
Progress Report: 100% Achieved
Achieved
Details on page
1. Access
Connect high-needs individuals through federally funded nyc Connected initiatives ✓ 3
Launch outreach and education efforts to increase broadband Internet adoption ✓ 3
Support more broadband choices citywide ✓ 7
Introduce Wi-Fi in more public spaces, including parks ✓ 5
2. EDUCATION
Introduce Applied Sciences NYC, the initiative to bring more STEM institutions to New York City ✓ 10
Introduce Cornell-Technion Innovation Institute on Roosevelt Island ✓ 11
Introduce Center for Urban Science and Progress, led by NYU and NYU-Poly ✓ 11
Introduce Academy for Software Engineering, a high school that teaches development and design ✓ 9
Increase number of participants in Innovation Zone from 80 schools to over 250 ✓ 9
Develop Digital Ready, digital literacy curriculum for middle and high school students ✓ 9
3. OPEN GOVERNMENT
Develop NYC OpenData, an Open Government framework featuring APIs for City data ✓ 19
Launch a central hub for engaging and cultivating feedback from the developer community ✓ 21
Introduce visualization tools that make data more accessible to the public ✓ 20
Launch app wishlists to support a needs-based ecosystem of innovation ✓ 21
Launch an official New York City apps hub ✓ 21
Host New York City’s first hackathon: Reinvent NYC.gov ✓ 21
Host New York City's first sustainability hackathon: Reinvent Green ✓ 21
Launch Code Corps initiative linking volunteer technologists with livesaving civic digital projects ✓ 23
Host Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge on future of public payphones ✓ 22
Introduce DART, a team of the City's data experts ✓ 25
4. Engagement
Expand 311 Online through smartphone apps, Twitter and live chat ✓ 39
Implement a custom bit.ly url redirection service on NYC.gov to encourage sharing ✓ 38
Launch official Facebook presence to engage New Yorkers and customize experience ✓ 36
Launch @NYCgov, a central Twitter account and one-stop shop of crucial news and services ✓ 36
Launch a New York City Tumblr vertical, featuring content and commentary on City stories ✓ 36
Launch a Foursquare badge that encourages use of New York City’s free public places ✓ 36
Integrate crowdsourcing tools for emergency situations ✓ 40
Introduce digital Citizen Toolkits for engaging with New York City government online ✓ 35
Introduce SMART, a team of the City’s social media leaders ✓ 36
Launch ongoing listening sessions across the five boroughs to encourage input ✓ 38
Relaunch NYC.gov to make the City’s website more usable, accessible and intuitive ✓ 27
5. Industry
Expand workforce development programs to support diversity in the digital sector ✓ 43
Support technology startup infrastructure needs ✓ 45
Support small businesses through streamlined online resources and digital training ✓ 46
Continue to recruit more engineering talent and teams to New York City ✓ 45
Promote and celebrate NYC’s digital sector through events and awards ✓ 47
Pursue a new .NYC top-level domain ✓ 46
Develop the Made in NY Media Center, a facility in DUMBO dedicated to the future of storytelling in a digital age ✓ 48
Launch We Are Made in NY, an economic development initiative celebrating New York City's tech sector opportunities ✓ 47
Expand the Made in NY Mark of distinction to digital companies that base at least 75% of development in NYC ✓ 47

R

NYCHA D V
91%
100%
2 The City of New York New York City's Digital Leadership 3
ACES
Access: Connecting All New Yorkers
Today over 99% of New Yorkers have resi-dential
access to high-speed broadband, and build-ing
on this reach is critical. Since the introduction
of the Digital Roadmap in 2011, over a dozen new
initiatives have enhanced Internet infrastructure,
increased adoption and expanded coverage—
and today New Yorkers are more connected than
ever before.
From public Wi-Fi in over 50 parks to subsidized
broadband access for hundreds of thousands of
low-income residents, Access programs have
provided New Yorkers with a host of free options
to connect to the Internet, supporting public safety,
academic growth, economic development, tourism
and community.
More Access for Low-
Income New Yorkers
The plan starts by focusing on serving historically
under-connected communities, and establishing
the baseline that every New Yorker has a range of
free and low-cost means to access the Internet to
fulfill professional and personal goals.
Underscoring Mayor Bloomberg’s commitment
to increasing technology inclusion and reducing
the digital divide, the City of New York has helped
nearly 300,000 low-income residents access the
Internet and adopt service since the introduction
of the Digital Roadmap.
A major driver of this accomplishment was the set of
high-impact grants provided by the federally funded
btop program (Broadband Technology Opportuni-ties
Program). Programs included Connected Learn-ing,
which provides training, discounted broadband,
technology curricula and equipment to 23,000 sixth
graders and their families for a total impact of over
50,000 residents. The program, which surpassed its
initial goal of serving 18,000 sixth graders, hopes to
significantly impact the academic and professional
trajectory of the selected students by providing them
and their households with powerful digital literacy
training at a critical age.
In addition, a separate program, Connected Com-munities,
has expanded capacity and infrastructure
to serve over 40,000 individuals a week via 100 new
or upgraded public technology centers located in
public libraries, recreation centers, public housing
NYCHA Digital Van.
Images courtesy of
NYCHA.
The foundation of a digital city is the connectivity
of its people. Access is the basis of the Digital
Roadmap because ensuring that all New Yorkers
are able to connect to the Internet is the first step to
realizing New York City’s innovative potential.
300,000
4,000+
50+
36 in 2013
6 in 2011
200,000
A L-

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3,557,162 H

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P L

2012
60%
80%
2011 2012 2013 2014
R S
V FOS A
A N Y

and community centers. This includes innovative
initiatives such as the New York City Housing Au-thority
(nycha) Digital Vans program, a program
that outfitted mobile technology centers that travel
across housing developments in all five boroughs to
provide Internet and computer access. To promote
services to the public, nycha posts schedules
online and via Twitter; just over a year since launch,
the Digital Vans have served over 4,000 residents.
Altogether, Connected Communities computer re-sources
centers benefit approximately 200,000 New
Yorkers annually.
Finally, a third program called Connected Founda-tions,
has focused on at-risk youth in danger of
failing to complete high school, and has served 4,194
students to date—providing access and digital lit-eracy
training to increase professional opportunities
post-secondary school.
New York City’s library systems play a vital and
ever-growing role in connecting New Yorkers to the
information that they seek on the Internet. Altogeth-er,
the City’s three library systems have increased
the number of computers available to the public by
89% since 2002. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)
offers its members free Internet access and 1,111
public use computers, including 95 laptops added
to its inventory in 2011 using BTOP funding. BPL
also offers a 36-computer Tech Loft serving youth
up to 16 years of age and computers with free access
to costly specialty programs such as Rosetta Stone,
Windows Live Movie Maker and Ancestry Library
Edition. The New York Public Library provides
free access to the Internet, online databases, library
catalogs and Microsoft Office applications from its
4,026 public-use computers. In 2012, NYPL visitors
logged 3,557,162 hours of computer use, and made
a total of 441,434 requests for its 1,303 laptops. The
Queens Public Library also provides Internet access
and 1,706 computers for public use, and through
BTOP funding, provides one-on-one training and
use of Microsoft Office applications.
These infrastructure achievements are complement-ed
by the expansion of professional development
programs that connect hundreds of diverse public
school students with technology internships at com-panies
across New York City, detailed in the Industry
section of this report.
Increased Free Wi-Fi in
Public Spaces
Building on full-service access to the Internet via
hardline connections and public desktop comput-ers,
the increased use of mobile devices, tablets and
personal laptop computers in New York City has led
to exponential public demand for free public Wi-Fi.
While blanketing the five boroughs of the City with
public Wi-Fi is currently costly and complex, the
City of New York has supported the establishment
of public-private partnerships. These partnerships
represent tens of millions of dollars in investment
that expand connectivity to hundreds of thousands
at no cost to taxpayers.
Since the announcement of the Digital Roadmap,
the City has implemented free public Wi-Fi in over
50 parks, supporting business, tourism and com-munity
needs. Of those parks, 26 locations were
connected by ATT and feature unlimited Wi-Fi
access for all users. Spurred by the experience
of telecommunications needs during Hurricane
Sandy, ATT also recently piloted Street Charge,
several solar-powered mobile charging stations
that help New Yorkers maintain power, and, thus,
connectivity on the go and in emergency scenarios.
Cablevision and TimeWarner invested in infra-structure
in an additional 32 parks, and allow
up to 30 minutes of use per month free of charge
for non-customers and $0.99 per day beyond
that threshold.
Beyond the parks, the City of New York has part-nered
with Google to provide free public Wi-Fi
in Chelsea, covering an area that serves over
100,000, including over 2,000 residents of the
Fulton Houses public housing development, and
spanning from 15th Street to 19th Street and 8th
Avenue to 10th Avenue.
Free public Wi-Fi networks are also coming to 10
commercial districts in all five boroughs: in Brook-lyn
along the Fulton Street corridor, BAM Cultural
District, Brownsville, and Downtown Brooklyn;
in Manhattan in the Flatiron District, along the
Water Street Corridor and the East River waterfront
in Lower Manhattan, the 125th Street corridor in
Harlem and on Roosevelt Island; in Queens in Long
Island City; in Staten Island in the St. George com-mercial
district; and in the Bronx on Fordham Road,
as well as other areas citywide.
The City of New York has also explored new uses
of existing infrastructure to expand Wi-Fi coverage,
including the opportunity to breathe new life into
public pay telephones by augmenting them with
Wi-Fi hotspots available to the public. Through
a pilot between payphone franchisees Titan and
Van Wagner Communications, the Department of
Information Technology and Telecommunications
has launched Wi-Fi hotspots at 13 payphone kiosks,
free of charge to the public and accessible at up to a
distance of 200 feet.
New York City’s public libraries continue to provide
crucial Internet access, including free public Wi-Fi
at all branches of the three library systems that serve
New York City’s five boroughs: Brooklyn Public Li-brary,
New York Public Library and Queens Library.
Below ground, the expansion of cellular and wireless
service in New York City’s subway system is crucial
to the safety, productivity and communications
needs of New Yorkers. Since the creation of the Digi-tal
Roadmap, the MTA and vendor Transit Wireless
have begun the expansion plan to bring Wi-Fi and
Street Charge.
Images courtesy
of Pensa.
Free Wi-Fi at pay-phone
kiosks. Image
courtesy of DoITT.

cellular service to all 277 underground stations. In
2011, six stations were connected; today 36 under-ground
subway stations provide access.
Wider Internet Provider
Choice for all New Yorkers
Beyond public Internet access, increasing market
competition for private Internet service is key to
ensuring a range of choices for consumers in New
York City. And while the federal government deter-mines
the range of approved Internet providers, the
City of New York has used its negotiation leverage to
ensure that large cable providers expand service to
all residential areas.
When the first Digital Roadmap was released in
2011, 60% of residential streets had access to Veri-zon
FiOS. As part of a contract requirement secured
by the Department of Information Technology and
Telecommunications, today the percentage of resi-dences
with street access has increased to 91%, with
Verizon on track to serve 100% of residences by the
conclusion of 2014. This represents a crucial step in
expanding the market and providing more options
to consumers in New York City.
Expanded Commercial
Fiber Optic Broadband
Finally, as New York City’s technology sector grows
and other major industries modernize, the need for
high-speed commercial broadband access has never
been greater. To speed the deployment of fiber optic
cabling, the City of New York has explored innova-tive
new technologies and leveraged contracts with
Internet service providers.
One example is the trial of micro-trenching technol-ogy
to deploy fiber connectivity in commercial
corridors. Micro-trenching is a process of installing
small conduits in narrow trenches at sidewalk edges
to house fiber optic cabling. It is faster, more efficient
and less disruptive than traditional methods of in-stalling
infrastructure. In partnership with Verizon,
the City approved 14 pilot locations that will run
through November 2013.
In addition, Deputy Mayor Robert Steel announced
the launch of the ConnectNYC Fiber Challenge, a
competition that provides free fiber connectivity in-stallation
to businesses, up to a value of $14 million.
The contest is in its second round, with over 200
applicants to date, and is described in greater depth
in the Industry section.
Verizon FiOS Installa-tion.
Image courtesy
of DoITT.

If Internet infrastructure is the bedrock of the digital
city, technology Education empowers residents to
fully participate in the digital ecosystem and reap
the benefits of its innovations. From basic digital
literacy—like sending an email or applying for a job
online—to advanced degree programs in computer
science, initiatives to support learning in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
ensure that all New Yorkers are part of the future of
the digital transformation of New York City. 40 M B
44,000 SQ-FT. FACILITY
81 280
75

15 15 15 15 15
EDUCATION
Education: Investing in the Future
Mayor Bloomberg’s administration has
launched over 40 digital learning programs that have
served over one million New Yorkers to date. These
programs serve kindergartners and senior citizens
alike, across all five boroughs, catering to a range of
fluency levels.
The most recent launches include digital literacy
programs for middle school students, targeted
high schools for computer science learning and the
game-changing Cornell Tech campus planned for
Roosevelt Island, part of Mayor Bloomberg’s pio-neering
Applied Sciences NYC initiative. Milestone
education programs are highlighted below.
STEM Education Highlights
Growth of iZone Program, Serving
Students K-12
In New York City, digital learning begins at the kin-dergarten
level, thanks to programs such as iZone,
a community of New York City public schools that
personalizes the learning experience through col-laboration
tools, real-time assessment and an online
curriculum. At the launch of the Digital Roadmap,
the iZone included 81 schools; today that number
has more than doubled to encompass a learning
community of nearly 280 schools serving thousands
of students in grades 6-12.
Digital Ready: Supporting Digital
Literacy
To further increase digital literacy and technol-ogy
sector awareness among students, the City
has launched Digital Ready, a technology-driven
program that uses new media tools in the classroom
and offers internships and other learning experi-ences
with startups. A collaboration between the
Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and the
Department of Education, Digital Ready launched in
September 2013 in 10 high schools, using a student-centered
model that integrates digital resources into
lesson plans, leverages assessment data for instruc-tional
decisions, and introduces students to careers
in technology through mentorships and career
development opportunities with local digital compa-nies.
In its second year, Digital Ready will expand to
20 additional schools, including middle schools.
Computer Science Curriculum Expands
to More NYC Schools
At the secondary level, students interested in an
academic or professional career in technology have
greater options than ever before thanks to the cre-ation
of two new high schools focused on computer
science learning, and the expansion of the Software
Engineering Pilot to an additional 19 schools. The
Academy for Software Engineering (AFSE) was the
first school to open in fall 2012, welcoming its inau-gural
cohort of 108 students. Located in the Wash-

1,000,000
$100 MILLION
2MSQ-FT. CORNELL TECH CAMPUS
2.5ACRES OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACE

N

ington Irving Educational Complex in the Gramercy
Park area, AFSE teaches high school students pro-gramming
in multiple computer languages, as well as
the critical principles underlying each system—en-abling
them to adapt as technology changes.
New York City’s local technology community has
contributed enormously to AFSE’s success. From
the start, venture capitalist Fred Wilson sparked
the concept and provided significant funding to
establish the school, citing the need for talent in the
City’s growing digital industry. To guide curriculum
development and support collaboration with the
technology sector, AFSE developed an advisory
board featuring prominent technologists and educa-tors
from companies including Facebook, Four-square
and Google.
Fall 2013 marks the entrance of the second class
of students to AFSE, as well as the launch of an
additional computer science-focused school - the
Bronx Academy for Software Engineering (BASE).
BASE leverages the successful curriculum template
pioneered by AFSE, as well as an advisory board of
technology, business and community leaders.
Beyond AFSE and BASE, the Software Engineering
Pilot expanded to 19 middle and high schools in
September 2013, with courses on topics including
computer programming, embedded electronics, web
design, and robotics. Selected through a competitive
application process that assessed current technology
curriculum and potential for growth, the 19 schools
include:
• High School of Telecommunication Arts
and Technology
• Brooklyn Technical High School
• The Bronx Compass High School
• The Renaissance Charter High School
for Innovation
• Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology
• Queens Vocational Technical High School
• Cambria Heights Academy
• Ralph McKee High School
• New Dorp High School
• Ditmas Intermediate School 62
• I.S. 30 Mary White Ovington
• Mark Twain I.S. 239 for the Gifted and Talented
• Bronx Park Middle School
• M.S. 223 The Laboratory School of Finance
and Technology
• Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74
• J.H.S. 185 Edward Bleeker
• Pathways College Preparatory School
• J.H.S. 157 Stephen A. Halsey
• Eagle Academy for Young Men
NYC Generation Tech is a program that helps public
high school students learn the fundamentals of
programming and entrepreneurship skills. In 2013,
43 students completed an intensive summer training
program and worked with technology mentors from
Warby Parker, AppNexus, Spotify, Google and other
local companies to develop mobile applications. The
students then pitched their creations to compete for
$5,000 and a meeting with Union Square Ventures.
The program was developed by NYCEDC in partner-ship
with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.
Applied Sciences NYC:
Landmark Achievements in
Higher Education
To support the exploding demand for computer sci-ence
expertise in New York City, and to assure New
York City’s enduring position as a hub for innova-tion,
in 2010 Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor
Robert Steel launched Applied Sciences NYC, an
unparalleled public competition with the goal to build
or expand engineering institutions across the five
boroughs. The schools established as part of Applied
Sciences NYC serve postgraduate students, helping to
further develop the technology ecosystem and fortify-ing
New York City’s economy for the future.
The competition offered access to City-owned land
and up to $100 million in City capital for world-class
institutions to build or grow an applied sciences
campus in New York City. Its results were staggering:
the initial Request for Expressions of Interest garnered
18 responses from 27 prominent schools across the
country and around the world. Soon after, the formal
Request for Proposals resulted in seven qualifying
responses from 17 outstanding institutions. After ex-tensive
evaluation, the City announced in December
2011 that the proposal from Cornell University and
the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology was the
first winner of the competition.
Cornell Tech
An initiative that has ignited the imagination of New
York City’s digital community, Cornell Tech’s mis-sion
is to modernize the applied sciences institution
for the digital world, combining technology and
entrepreneurship learning in advanced degree
Cornell Tech.
Image courtesy
of Kilograph.
NYU Center for
Urban Science
and Progress.
Image courtesy
of NYU CUSP.
Mayor Bloomberg
announces 19
schools to participate
in new software
engineering pilot.
programs that feature academics alongside industry
practitioners. The home of the future campus is New
York City’s Roosevelt Island, where the two-million-square-
foot Cornell Tech campus will feature
sustainable construction and blend seamlessly with
the surrounding neighborhood, including 2.5 acres
of green space open to the public.
In 2013 Cornell Tech’s first cohort, a seven-member
“beta class,” completed the initial year of its com-puter
science Master of Engineering program. The
group is housed in space donated by Google, and its
term concluded with Open Studio, a presentation of
real-world master projects executed with the men-torship
of active industry leaders from Betaworks,
Google and Qualcomm.

Its work already underway, Cornell Tech is a power-ful
investment in cultivating the talent needed to fuel
the future of New York City’s economy and maintain
its status as the intellectual capital of the world.
NYU Center for Urban Science
and Progress
The second Applied Sciences NYC winner an-nounced
was the Center for Urban Science and
Progress, a visionary public-private research center
focused on the emerging field “Urban Informat-ics”—
solving the challenges that cities face and
exploring creative solutions to improve metropolitan
life. NYU CUSP’s advanced degree programs will
focus on developments in urbanization and digital
technology, with New York City as its “living labora-tory.”
The research center will help to ensure that the
best and brightest continue to innovate in New York
City and that their breakthroughs and talent are ap-plied
across the five boroughs.
CUSP is led by New York University and NYU-Poly,
with contributions from partners the City
University of New York, Carnegie Mellon
University, University of Toronto, University of
Warwick, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
and technology leaders IBM and Cisco.
Institute for Data Sciences and
Engineering at Columbia University
The third and most recent winner of the Applied
Sciences NYC competition is the Institute for Data
Science and Engineering (IDSE) at Columbia
University. IDSE will focus on another rapidly grow-ing,
emerging field—data science—and support
the launch of entrepreneurial ventures inspired by
the program. The Institute’s six centers focus on the
topics of smart cities, new media, health analytics,
financial analytics, cybersecurity and foundations
of data science, with the aim to produce commer-cially
viable technology initiatives and help grow
the economy. As part of the program, Columbia
will construct a new 44,000-square-foot facility and
hire 75 additional faculty members. To support this
growth, the City of New York will invest $15 million
in critical funding in the form of energy transmission
abatements, debt forgiveness and lease flexibility.
Left and far left: Cornell Tech
campus on Roosevelt Island. Images
courtesy of Kilograph.
Below: Interior of NYU CUSP. Image
courtesy of NYU CUSP.

New York City's Digital Education Impact:
One Million Empowered
New York City’s Digital Education Impact: One Million Empowered
New York City’s Digital Education Impact: One Million Empowered
GRADES K–5 GRADES 6 – 8 GRADES 9 – 12 HIGHER EDUCATION CONTINUING EDUCATION SENIOR CITIZENS
GRADES K–5 6 8 GRADES 9 – 12 HIGHER EDUCATION CONTINUING EDUCATION SENIOR CITIZENS
20. GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
SERVES OVER
18,000 NEW
YORKERS
TECH INNOVATION
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 20.
SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, ARTS
MATHEMATICS
DIGITAL PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
WORKFORCE TRAINING
BASIC DIGITAL
LITERACY
20. GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
SERVES OVER
18,000 NEW
YORKERS
TECH INNOVATION
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 20.
1.
2.
3.
SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, ARTS
17.
MATHEMATICS
9.
13.
34.
36.
21.
27.
8.
22.
30.
37.
33. P-TECH:
Unique grade
9-14 applied
science school
14.
24.
7. CITIZEN SCHOOLS:
Partners with middle
schools to provide
academic support,
apprenticeships,
and college and
career preparedness
31.
resources
10.
12.
15.
16.
25.
27.
37.
26.
38.
7.
40.
29.
4.
32.
22. iZONE:
Impacting
225,000 by the
end of 2013
18.
19.
DIGITAL PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
WORKFORCE TRAINING
5.
11.
BASIC DIGITAL
LITERACY
23.
6.
8. COALITION COLLABORATION
FOR
QUEENS: LAB AND ACCESS FOR MIDDLE
HIGH
CODE
Affordable SCHOOLS
tech
education for
underserved
populations.
This chart maps City-supported
digital education programs by
age group and subject matter.
A numbered list on the following
page provides short descriptions
of each initiative. Full details are
available on nyc.gov.
24. LADDERS FOR
LEADERS:
1,300 participants,
28% were offered
employment beyond
the end of the program
THE BROADBAND
TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
PROGRAM PROGRAMS
ALONE IMPACT MORE THAN 266,000 NEW YORKERS
33.
8. COALITION COLLABORATION
FOR
QUEENS: LAB AND ACCESS FOR MIDDLE
HIGH
CODE
Affordable SCHOOLS
tech
education for
underserved
populations.
APPLIED SCIENCES NY C
represents a significant
long-term investment
in the future of
tech education and
entrepreneurship in
New York City
24. LADDERS FOR
LEADERS:
1,300 participants,
28% were offered
employment beyond
the end of the program
THE BROADBAND
TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
PROGRAM PROGRAMS
ALONE IMPACT MORE THAN 266,000 NEW YORKERS
17. DEP’T OF
YOUTH
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
35.
3.
17.
7. CITIZEN SCHOOLS:
Partners with middle
schools to provide
academic support,
apprenticeships,
and college and
career preparedness
resources
5.
11.
22. iZONE:
Impacting
225,000 by the
end of 2013
This chart maps City-supported
digital education programs by
age group and subject matter.
A numbered list on the following
page provides short descriptions
of each initiative. Full details are
available on nyc.gov.
33. OATS:
(Older Adults
Technology
Services) Brings
technology skills
to New Yorkers
aged 60 and over
APPLIED SCIENCES NY C
represents a significant
long-term investment
in the future of
tech education and
entrepreneurship in
New York City
33. P-TECH:
Unique grade
9-14 applied
science school
1.
2.
9.
13.
34.
36.
21.
27.
8.
22.
30.
37.
14.
24.
31.
10.
12.
15.
16.
25.
27.
37.
26.
38.
7.
40.
29.
4.
32.
18.
19.
23.
6.
33.
17. DEP’T OF
YOUTH
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS
35.
33. OATS:
(Older Adults
Technology
Services) Brings
technology skills
to New Yorkers
aged 60 and over

New York City's Digital
Education Impact
Digital Education and the City of New
1. ACADEMY FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Specialized high school with a focus on innovative software engineering and computer science
2. BRONX ACADEMY OF SOFTW ARE ENGINEERING High school teaching programming, design app development, promoting creative thinking and community engagement
3. BLUEPRINT FOR THE MOVING IMAGE Standards-based curriculum and workshops for the study of the moving image and new media for K-12
4. BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
Ensuring that New Yorkers have access to digital
N E W Y O R K C I T Y ’ S
D I G I T A L
E D U C A T I O I M P A C T :
O N E
M I L L I O E M P O W E R E Ensuring that New Yorkers have access to digital
N E W Y O R K C D I G I E D U C I M P A O N E
M L E M P O education resources is a critical element in Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg’s Digital Roadmap for
New York City, enabling greater academic success,
civic engagement and a healthy economy. From
a basic course on using email, to sophisticated
doctorate programs in engineering, the City of
New York supports programs that serve over one
million New Yorkers, from Kindergarteners to
Senior Citizens.
education resources is a critical element in Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg’s Digital Roadmap for
New York City, enabling greater academic success,
civic engagement and a healthy economy. From
a basic course on using email, to sophisticated
doctorate programs in engineering, the City of
New York supports programs that serve over one
million New Yorkers, from Kindergarteners to
Senior Citizens.
The chart featured on the opposite side of this
document maps City-supported digital education
programs by age group and subject matter. To the
right, short program descriptions offer a snapshot
of content and context. For more information and
to participate, visit nyc.gov.
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
SUPPORTS MORE THAN
39 DIGITAL LITERACY AND
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
39,010 CAREER AND
TECHNICAL EDUCATION
STUDENTS WITH DIGITAL/
TECH PROGRAM FOCUS
COMPUTER RESOURCE CENTER
PROGRAMS SERVE UP TO
NEW YORKERS ANNUALLY 200,000
NYC Generation Tech. Images courtesy
of NYCEDC and Network for Teaching
Entrepreneurship (NFTE).
The chart featured on the opposite side of this
document maps City-supported digital education
programs by age group and subject matter. To the
right, short program descriptions offer a snapshot
of content and context. For more information and
to participate, visit nyc.gov.
CITY PARTNERS INCLUDE
Center for Economic Opportunity
Department for the Aging
Department of Information Technology
and Telecommunications
Department of Youth and Community
Development
Economic Development Corporation
Fund for Public Schools
Human Resources Administration
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
Mayor’s Office
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
Mayor’s Office for International Affairs
Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic
Violence
New York City Council
New York City Housing Authority
Women’s Commission
Young Men’s Initiative
Digital Education and the City of New
1. ACADEMY FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Specialized high school with a focus on innovative software engineering and computer science
2. BRONX ACADEMY OF SOFTW ARE ENGINEERING High school teaching programming, design app development, promoting creative thinking and community engagement
3. BLUEPRINT FOR THE MOVING IMAGE Standards-based curriculum and workshops for the study of the moving image and new media for K-12
4. BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
PROGRAM (BTOP)
Computer access and digital literacy training for high needs communities with a focus on raising student achievement among
MS students and their families
PROGRAM (BTOP)
Computer access and digital literacy training for high needs communities with a focus on raising student achievement among
MS students and their families
5. BTOP: NYC CONNECTED COMMUNITIES Expands public computer centers in New York City’s highest poverty areas through investments in equipment, training and
5. BTOP: NYC CONNECTED COMMUNITIES Expands public computer centers in New York City’s highest poverty areas through investments in equipment, training and
outreach efforts
outreach efforts
6. BTOP: NYC CONNECTED FOUNDATIONS Provides transfer students with the digital skills and access to technology necessary for graduation, college and career
7. CITIZEN SCHOOLS Partners with middle schools to provide academic support, apprenticeships, and college and career preparedness resources
8. COALITION FOR QUEENS: ACCESS CODE Affordable tech education for underserved populations. Puts graduates on path to careers in tech and entrepreneurship
9. CODENOW Teaches high schools students to code through free, extra-curricular training
10. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR DA TA
6. BTOP: NYC CONNECTED FOUNDATIONS Provides transfer students with the digital skills and access to technology necessary for graduation, college and career
7. CITIZEN SCHOOLS Partners with middle schools to provide academic support, apprenticeships, and college and career preparedness resources
8. COALITION FOR QUEENS: ACCESS CODE Affordable tech education for underserved populations. Puts graduates on path to careers in tech and entrepreneurship
9. CODENOW Teaches high schools students to code through free, extra-curricular training
10. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR DA TA
SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING *
Significantly builds Columbia University’s applied science focus with an emphasis on new media, smart cities, health analyt-ics,
SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING *
Significantly builds Columbia University’s applied science focus with an emphasis on new media, smart cities, health analyt-ics,
cybersecurity and financial analytics
cybersecurity and financial analytics
11. COMPUTER RESOURCE CENTERS Provide low-cost computer access and digital literacy courses to a diverse range of New Yorkers
12. CORNELL TECH* Applied science program led by Cornell and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, fusing educational excellence with
11. COMPUTER RESOURCE CENTERS Provide low-cost computer access and digital literacy courses to a diverse range of New Yorkers
12. CORNELL TECH* Applied science program led by Cornell and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, fusing educational excellence with
real-world commercial applications and technology entrepreneurship
real-world commercial applications and technology entrepreneurship
13. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCA TION High schools fusing academic rigor, real-world relevance and workplace skills with a focus on digital media and technology
14. CTE SUMMER SCHOLARS Technology related summer internship experience matching participants with a diverse range of companies and City agencies
15. THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW Y ORK CUNY system offers degree programs and work opportunities in applied sciences, digital media and entrepreneurship
16. CUSP: CENTER FOR URBAN PROGRESS * Public-private research center and applied sciences graduate program in downtown Brooklyn led by NYU and NYU-Poly
17. DEPARTMENT OF Y OUTH COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
13. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCA TION High schools fusing academic rigor, real-world relevance and workplace skills with a focus on digital media and technology
14. CTE SUMMER SCHOLARS Technology related summer internship experience matching participants with a diverse range of companies and City agencies
15. THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW Y ORK CUNY system offers degree programs and work opportunities in applied sciences, digital media and entrepreneurship
16. CUSP: CENTER FOR URBAN PROGRESS * Public-private research center and applied sciences graduate program in downtown Brooklyn led by NYU and NYU-Poly
17. DEPARTMENT OF Y OUTH COMMUNITY
A range of out-of-school programs for elementary, middle and high school students focusing on Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics learning experiences
CITY PARTNERS INCLUDE
Center for Economic Opportunity
Department for the Aging
Department of Information Technology
and Telecommunications
Department of Youth and Community
Development
Economic Development Corporation
Fund for Public Schools
Human Resources Administration
Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
Mayor’s Office
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
Mayor’s Office for International Affairs
Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic
Violence
New York City Council
New York City Housing Authority
Women’s Commission
Young Men’s Initiative
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
A range of out-of-school programs for elementary, middle and high school students focusing on Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics learning experiences
18. DIGITAL READY Delivers technology and digital learning to high schools classrooms and connects students with the tech community in NYC
19. EXPANDED SUCCESS INITIATIVE SCHOOL DESIGN
FELLOWSHIP
18. DIGITAL READY Delivers technology and digital learning to high schools classrooms and connects students with the tech community in NYC
19. EXPANDED SUCCESS Fellows INITIATIVE will design SCHOOL breakthrough DESIGN
high school model that will yield new schools in 2014
FELLOWSHIP
Fellows will design breakthrough high school model that will yield new schools in 2014
20. GENERAL ASSEMBLY Transforms thinkers into creators through education and opportunities in technology, business and design
21. GLOBAL PARTNERS JUNIOR Online exchange program connecting NYC youth to peers around the globe through a collaborative project-based curriculum.
22. HIVE NYC Collaboration lab to develop innovative learning experiences to prepare 6–12th graders for success in the digital age
23. iZONE An innovation program that delivers tech tools, strategies and supports to classrooms across NYC
24. LADDERS FOR LEADERS Internship and professional development program for young New Yorkers emphasizing 21st century skills and education
25. LINK (LEVERAGING INNOVATIONS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN
20. GENERAL ASSEMBLY Transforms thinkers into creators through education and opportunities in technology, business and design
21. GLOBAL PARTNERS JUNIOR Online exchange program connecting NYC youth to peers around the globe through a collaborative project-based curriculum.
22. HIVE NYC Collaboration lab to develop innovative learning experiences to prepare 6–12th graders for success in the digital age
23. iZONE An innovation program that delivers tech tools, strategies and supports to classrooms across NYC
24. LADDERS FOR LEADERS Internship and professional development program for young New Yorkers emphasizing 21st century skills and education
25. LINK (LEVERAGING INNOVATIONS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN
THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY): LEARN AS Y OU EARN
Paid internship program to obtain relevant, in-demand skills, work experience, wage and credits alongside classes
THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY): LEARN AS Y OU EARN
Paid internship program to obtain relevant, in-demand skills, work experience, wage and credits alongside classes
26. LINK: DIGITALWORK NYC Participants train to complete digital tasks, build employment history, and create pathways to digital jobs while earning money
27. LINK: IMMIGRANT BRIDGE Career counseling, low-interest loans, licensing paths, job placement for foreign-trained immigrants with high demand skills
28. MADE IN NY MEDIA CENTER BY IFP Incubator, co-working space, classes, gallery screening room where innovators learn, share ideas, and build businesses
29. “MADE IN NY” T ALKS: TECH Career panels featuring digital media practicioners and leaders
30. MOUSE Organization that empowers underserved middle and high school students to learn, lead and create with technology
31. NYC GENERATION TECH Provides hands-on learning and mentorship for high school students interested in tech-based innovations
32. NYC STEPS Program offered at Family Justice Centers to prepare participants for careers in the technology sector
33. OATS: OLDER ADULTS TECHNOLOGY SER VICES Brings technology skills to New Yorkers aged 60 and over through community programs and online resources
34. P-TECH (PATHWAYS IN TECHNOLOGY EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL) Unique grade 9-14 applied science school that prepares students for competitive jobs in the IT industry
35. PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS Classes offered throughout Brooklyn, New York and Queens Public Library systems on digital literacy
36. RECYOUTH: REEL EDUCATION FOR Y OUTH Multimedia extracurricular program for teens that teaches digital skills for creative media production
37. SCHOLARS AT WORK Brooklyn Tech Triangle-based paid internship and workforce development program for college students
38. SMALL BUSINESS DIGITAL TOOLKIT Training courses to help small businesses build a presence online, engage customers and expand using social media strategies
39. SOFTWARE ENGINEERING PILOT PROGRAM Brings computer science and software engineering classes to students in grades 6-12 in 20 schools across NYC
40. WORKADVANCE Training program that prepares unemployed and low-wage working adults for jobs and carer growth opportunities
iZONE: IN 300 SCHOOLS
WORKING WITH OVER
225,000 STUDENTS BY
THE END OF 2013
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
SUPPORTS MORE THAN
39 DIGITAL LITERACY AND
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
39,010 CAREER AND
TECHNICAL EDUCATION
STUDENTS WITH DIGITAL/
TECH PROGRAM FOCUS
COMPUTER RESOURCE CENTER
PROGRAMS SERVE UP TO
NEW YORKERS ANNUALLY 200,000
iZONE: IN 300 SCHOOLS
WORKING WITH OVER
225,000 STUDENTS BY
THE END OF 2013
To learn more visit nyc.gov
26. LINK: DIGITALWORK NYC Participants train to complete digital tasks, build employment history, and create pathways to digital jobs while earning money
27. LINK: IMMIGRANT BRIDGE Career counseling, low-interest loans, licensing paths, job placement for foreign-trained immigrants with high demand skills
28. MADE IN NY MEDIA CENTER BY IFP Incubator, co-working space, classes, gallery screening room where innovators learn, share ideas, and build businesses
29. “MADE IN NY” T ALKS: TECH Career panels featuring digital media practicioners and leaders
30. MOUSE Organization that empowers underserved middle and high school students to learn, lead and create with technology
31. NYC GENERATION TECH Provides hands-on learning and mentorship for high school students interested in tech-based innovations
32. NYC STEPS Program offered at Family Justice Centers to prepare participants for careers in the technology sector
33. OATS: OLDER ADULTS TECHNOLOGY SER VICES Brings technology skills to New Yorkers aged 60 and over through community programs and online resources
34. P-TECH (PATHWAYS IN TECHNOLOGY EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL) Unique grade 9-14 applied science school that prepares students for competitive jobs in the IT industry
35. PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS Classes offered throughout Brooklyn, New York and Queens Public Library systems on digital literacy
36. RECYOUTH: REEL EDUCATION FOR Y OUTH Multimedia extracurricular program teens that teaches digital skills for creative media production
37. SCHOLARS AT WORK Brooklyn Tech Triangle-based paid internship and workforce development program for college students
38. SMALL BUSINESS DIGITAL TOOLKIT Training courses to help small businesses build a presence online, engage customers and expand using social media strategies
39. SOFTWARE ENGINEERING PILOT PROGRAM Brings computer science and software engineering classes to students in grades 6-12 in 20 schools across NYC
40. WORKADVANCE Training program that prepares unemployed and low-wage working adults for jobs and carer growth opportunities
* PART OF APPLIED SCIENCES NY C, AN INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP TOP-TIER APPLIED SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING CAMPUSES IN NY C
MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, MA YOR
nyc.gov
To learn more visit nyc.gov
* PART OF APPLIED SCIENCES NY C, AN INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP TOP-TIER APPLIED SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING CAMPUSES IN NY C
MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, MA YOR
nyc.gov

After establishing strong footing in Access and Edu-cation,
the next step for a digital city is to cultivate an
open, collaborative government culture and technol-ogy
structure. Open Government supports transpar-ency
and innovation, enabling the public to develop
efficient, creative solutions to shared civic challenges.
42 NYC BA 2013:
$150,000
120

.
A D

R G 125 S
R P
D C

2013,

OPEN GOVERNMENT
Open
Government:
Enabling Innovation and Transparency
Since the Digital Roadmap’s introduction
in 2011, the City of New York has led the nation in
Open Government achievements, including the re-lease
of thousands of public data sets, the convening
of the first municipal hackathons and Mayor Bloom-berg’s
passage of Local Law 11, the most progressive
open data legislation in the country.
The impact of these initiatives are far-reaching.
Beyond the development of a compelling new
mobile app using City APIs or an eye-opening data
visualization, the most lasting outcome is the bonds
formed among technologists, government employ-ees
and civic innovators.
NYC OpenData
A technology framework that enables developers
to effectively engage with City data is crucial to an
Open Government strategy. Unlocking the vast data
resources at the City’s disposal also provides a com-petitive
advantage to entrepreneurs creating value
and jobs in New York City. With this in mind, several
months after the release of the 2011 Digital Road-map,
the Department of Information Technology
and Telecommunications unveiled NYC OpenData,
a platform supported by technology from Socrata
that offers access to API-enabled data sets and a vari-ety
of tools for interpreting, displaying and visualiz-ing
data. At its launch, the platform offered 350 data
sets; in 2013, the count has grown to 2,077.
Data sets include operational resources as well as
performance metrics providing the building blocks
for active civic participation and enabling the
development of functional tools to improve daily
life. Popular data sets include restaurant inspection
results and detailed maps of the City’s public parks.
If users cannot find what they are looking for, they
are able to suggest a data set via a public forum on
the website.
In addition, NYC OpenData now offers free, public
access to the valuable, high-demand MapPLUTO
(Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output) and ACRIS (Au-tomated
City Register Information System) logic and
databases. MapPLUTO provides Citywide land use
and geographic data from a range of agencies, merged
with tax lot information. MapPLUTO information
types include mass appraisal, landmark and zoning
data. ACRIS offers digital access to City Register
property records and document images related to real
estate, including deeds, mortgages and leases.
Top 10 Most Popular Data Sets
from nyc.gov/data
1. Wi-Fi Hotspot Locations
2. 311 Service Requests from 2010 to Present
3. Subway Entrances
4. Map of Parks
5. Electric Consumption by Zip Code (2010)
6. Zip Codes Map
7. MTA Data
8. Restaurant Inspection Results
9. Basic Description of Colleges and Universities
10. SAT (College Board) 2010 School Level Results
N
NYC.
R NYC. 12
A

NYC Developer Portal
An effective online platform that supports the
developer community and connects it to Open Data
resources and information is crucial to ensuring con-structive
outcomes from Open Government initia-tives.
Following the success of the NYC OpenData
Tech Standards wiki, which provided valuable public
input into the City’s data strategy, the City’s Depart-ment
of Information Technology and Telecommu-nications
and the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics
launched the NYC Developer Portal (nyc.gov/de-velopers),
a tool that brings together resources and
feedback tools to support technologists using City
data. The platform includes:
• User account management, including the ability
to register, obtain Developer Keys for City APIs,
track usage statistics and submit an application
to the App Showcase
• An App Showcase that includes both official
and publicly submitted mobile applications
developed using City data
• A directory of all official City APIs, with de-scriptions
and comment functionality
• A forum for developer feedback, questions and
suggestions
• Centralized links to the City’s OpenData Plat-form,
NYC BigApps and the OpenData Tumblr
presenting compelling data visualizations
• A listing of upcoming technology events rel-evant
to Open Government initiatives
Hackathons
In the summer of 2011, months after the introduc-tion
of the Roadmap, the City of New York con-vened
the first municipal hackathon in the United
States, Reinvent NYC.gov. A hackathon is a collab-orative
developer event in which technologists build
tools serving a shared goal within a short, specified
time constraint — often culminating in public dem-onstrations
and prizes for winning innovations. By
creating an environment that encourages experimen-tation,
minimizes risk and establishes a timetable
that requires rapid prototyping, hackathons are a
valuable way to spark organizational innovation.
The aim of the Reinvent NYC.gov hackathon,
organized by NYC Digital, was to design and build
a more modern iteration of NYC.gov, the City’s
website. Over 100 volunteer designers, developers,
technology partners and City employees participat-ed
in the 48-hour event, hosted in coworking space
donated by General Assembly. The outcomes set a
new bar for civic collaboration, as teams delivered 12
working prototypes of new NYC.gov websites and
established design references that would pave the
way for the modern, intuitive user experience of the
recently updated NYC.gov. Winning designs were
user-centric and informed by web traffic analytics
and current interaction standards such as predictive
search and mobile design. Reinvent NYC.gov proved
a powerful way for the public to impact New York
City’s digital strategy, helping to shape the future
of civic engagement and creating lasting bonds be-tween
government employees and technologists.
Building on the success of Reinvent NYC.gov, the
City subsequently hosted Reinvent Green. Reinvent
Green, the brainchild of the Office of Long-term
Planning and Sustainability, was jointly hosted
with NYU-Poly, Brooklyn Beta and NYC Digital,
and drew over 100 participants who produced 13
functional web and app prototypes that aimed to
make the lives of New Yorkers greener and greater.
Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs)
In addition to more than 2,000 data sets, the City
of New York today offers access to six Applica-tion
Programming Interfaces (APIs) to the public,
enabling developers to build real-time applications
that enhance urban life. APIs require Developer
Key registration via the NYC Developer Portal, and
include:
Checkbook NYC 2.0—The Checkbook NYC 2.0 API
offers access to the annual budget of the City of New
York, including documentation links for contracts,
spending and payroll domains.
City Hall Data Feed—This RSS Feed provides the
latest news, announcements and emergency alerts
issued by the Mayor’s press office.
DOT Data Feed—This API provides access to a range
of data resources from the Department of Trans-portation
(DOT), including traffic advisories, street
construction worksites, the bicycle parking and
cycling map, Staten Island Ferry status, alternate side
parking and parking regulation status, low bridge
locations, truck routes, and closed streets. The API
also offers feeds from traffic cameras and traffic
speed detectors.
HPD Data Feed—Maintained by the Department of
Housing Preservation and Development, this feed
offers access to data related to buildings, charges,
complaints, litigation, registrations and violations.
Geosupport API—Geosupport allows developers to
use Department of City Planning’s location-naming
conventions, correlating addresses to a Building
Identification Number (BIN) and using BIN as a
key to link all that the City knows about a location.
Open311 Inquiry API—Open311 provides access to
City services, facilities and frequently asked ques-tions
based on the information of the City 311
customer service department.
Developer Engagement:
Hackathons, Portals and
Competitions
Providing the raw materials needed to collaborate
is critical, but the greater challenge is catalyzing
the participation of the developer and data science
community to engage with that data in meaningful,
productive ways. Through a combination of events,
competitions and digital tools, the City of New York
has launched several initiatives to support successful
outcomes from Open Government initiatives.
NYC OpenData
platform.
A winning design
from the 2011
Reinvent NYC.gov
Hackathon.

To provide inspiration and strategic guidance,
participants were equipped with extensive app
wishlists that reflected public demands and infor-mation
requests. Concepts ranged from FreshFix, a
location-based mobile tool that allows the public to
find green markets nearby, to GreenCan, an app that
enables the public to enter any kind of trash item
and identify the closest appropriate waste receptacle.
The Reinvent Green hackathon led to the release of
20 new, high-value data sets, and the apps developed
will serve as models for future tools.
The third and most recent event in the Reinvent
series was the Reinvent Payphones Design Chal-lenge,
an unprecedented competition to engage the
brightest minds in design, technology and urban
planning to imagine the future of public, urban
communications systems. With the City’s network
of nearly 8,000 public pay telephones as its sandbox,
contest hosts Department of Information Technol-ogy
and Telecommunications asked participants to
create prototypes that served the evolving com-munications
needs of a diverse public and provided
critical support in emergency situations. Participants
had three months to complete and digitally submit
their concepts and benefited from background
resources and public information sessions with City
officials such as the Mayor’s Office for People with
Disabilities, the Department of City Planning and
the Department of Transportation. At the conclu-sion
of the challenge, the City received more than
125 outstanding submissions, and with the help of
the competition’s judging panel, named six winners.
Several participants developed impressive physical
prototypes, with features including Wi-Fi mesh net-works,
mobile device and electric vehicle charging
stations, community art installations, urban environ-ment
sensors and displays with gesture recognition
to increase hygiene.
The winning concepts of Reinvent Payphones will
be incorporated into the formal Request for Propos-als
to be issued by the City of New York when the
City’s current franchise expires in 2014. Thanks to
the creativity and vision of hundreds of designers,
architects, technologists and researchers, New York
City has an opportunity to chart the future of public
communications in urban areas aided by this col-laborative
public planning process.
Since the introduction of the Digital Roadmap,
the City has independently hosted six hackathons,
including events organized by NYC BigApps and
the Department of Consumer Affairs. In addition,
the City has participated in more than 20 external
hackathons, ranging from HackNY to Techcrunch
Disrupt—fostering deeper collaboration with the
technology community.
NYC BigApps: A
Competition to Spark
Innovations
Now in its fourth year, NYC BigApps was one of the
first public application competitions to launch in the
United States, providing incentives for the creation
of digital tools fueled by public data. NYC Big-
Apps capitalizes on the City’s landmark open data
initiatives, offering prizes and exposure that help to
encourage new businesses, critical tools and broader
awareness of the valuable data offered by the City.
For the fourth NYC BigApps, DoITT and the New
York City Economic Development Corporation
(NYCEDC) partnered with CollabFinder, a locally-based
platform for matching independent projects
and talented team members. 2013 participants were
asked to address the theme of “BigIssues,” focusing
on developing apps that improve Jobs and Economic
Mobility, Lifelong Learning, Healthy Living, and
Sustainable Living for City residents. With 517
participants, 120 projects, $150,000 in prize money,
42 data providers and 13 events throughout the year,
this year’s BigApps competition was the most suc-cessful
event to-date.
Introducing Code Corps:
Linking Volunteer
Technologists with
Lifesaving Digital Projects
Open government initiatives take on a different
dimension during emergency situations, as public
and private sectors work together to deliver critical
information and build powerful tools. During Hur-ricanes
Irene and Sandy, the availability of accurate,
actionable open data such as hurricane evacuation
zones enabled vital City updates to reach millions
more people than through City channels alone.
Perhaps the most crucial examples are the various
third-party interactive hurricane evacuation zone
maps that allowed the public to input an address and
determine evacuation status instantly.
In addition to the City’s own powerful map, built
using the Google Maps API, several other external
entities expanded the visibility of this information,
including Google, The New York Times and WNYC.
org. Altogether, these tools reached millions more
New Yorkers, leveraging existing audiences and de-livering
factual information from City sources. This
Top: Smart Side-walks,
winner of
Best Functionality.
Image courtesy
of Chorpash/
Snyder/Napawan
/Namara/Busse/
Ganes/Foster.
Below: NYC I/O:
The Responsive City,
winner of Best in
Community Impact.
Image courtesy
of Control Group/
Titan.
NYC BigApps 2013
Grand Prize Win-ner
HealthyOut.
Image courtesy of
NYCEDC.
Select BigApps NYC 2013 Winners / ChildCare Desk • HealthyOut* • Helping Hands
• Hired in NY • Hopscotch • Poncho • SolarList *Overall Winner

decentralized, collaborative approach is at the
heart of Open Government, and engages non-government
entities as active partners in
innovative service delivery.
Code Corps
Building on these successes, and accelerating the
ability of New York City government to partner
on technology initiatives beyond those enabled by
the NYC OpenData platform, in February 2013,
Mayor Bloomberg announced the launch of Code
Corps. Inspired by Hurricane Sandy, when hundreds
of volunteers offered their technical expertise to
support City disaster response and recovery efforts,
Code Corps is a group of technology companies,
nonprofits and academic institutions with advance
legal clearance and strategic vetting that enables
them to work with the City in emergency situations.
Currently, interested partners include:
• Code for America, NYC Brigade
• Codecademy
• Columbia, Institute for Data Sciences
and Engineering
• Cornell Tech
• Etsy
• Facebook
• General Assembly
• Homepolish NYC
• Kaggle
• MongoDB
• New York Tech Meetup
• New York University, Center for Urban
Science and Progress
• New York University, Department of
Computer Science
• NYU-Poly, Entrepreneurship and
Innovation Association
• Octopart
• Rent the Runway
• Sparkrelief
• Twitter NY
To support Code Corps, and to collaborate with the
external partners on team-building projects during
non-emergency situations, the Mayor’s Office of
Data Analytics and NYC Digital partnered to launch
the Data Advisory Research Taskforce (DART),
a group of the City’s foremost data experts. DART
meets monthly to discuss data policy, strategy, part-nerships
and new ideas to advance the City’s Open
Government efforts.
DART Members
Emily Ashton, Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene
Jeff Chen, Fire Department
Christopher Corcoran, Mayor’s Office of
Data Analytics
Joshua Florsheim, Department of
Buildings
Michael Flowers, Mayor’s Office of Data
Analytics
Lauren Givner, NYC Service
Rachel Haot, NYC Digital
Ivy Li, NYC Digital
Jacqueline Lu, Department of Parks and
Recreation
Jim McConnell, Office of Emergency
Management
Michael Porter, Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene
Colin Reilly. Department of Information
Technology and Telecommunications
Lynn Seirup, Office of Emergency
Management
Daniel Starobin, Department of
Sanitation
Katherine Winningham, Law Department

The way that New Yorkers communicate and connect
with one another is changing rapidly, and for govern-ment
to continue to be effective, it must evolve in
parallel. Digital Engagement is the fourth element in
the Digital Roadmap, steered by a data-driven, goals-oriented
approach. With a monthly digital audience
of 7.5 million, the City of New York is committed
to serving and informing New Yorkers on their own
terms, on the digital devices, platforms and media
most familiar to them.
C Y’
S M A
3.7M
N Y C’
D R
85%
(2011)
100,000
100,000
56,000
34,000
ENGAGEMENT
Engagement:
New Ways to Connect with NYC Government
In order to constantly measure success
and refine best practices across more than 340 social
media channels, City government agencies begin
their digital engagement plans by setting the perfor-mance
goal they plan to meet and then research and
identify the right technology and tool to reach their
constituency and achieve their aims.
Overview of the City’s
Digital Reach
The City’s digital engagement strategy is based on le-veraging
the social media platforms and digital tools
with the highest adoption rates by New Yorkers.
Today, those channels include the official govern-ment
website NYC.gov, mobile texting programs,
newsletters, smartphone applications and social
media platforms such as Facebook, Foursquare,
Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and YouTube.
The total size of the City’s digital reach is 7.5 mil-lion,
with an approximately even split between the
City’s average monthly web traffic to its destination
website nyc.gov (3.7 million) and those who follow
or subscribe to its third-party digital media channels
(3.7 million). This reflects a significant increase in
the number of New Yorkers using social media to
connect with New York City government. Since the
release of the Digital Roadmap in May 2011, the
City’s social media audience has more than tripled,
growing from 1.2 million to a current peak of 3.7
million social media followers across 340 channels.
Overall, the City’s digital reach has nearly doubled
since the introduction of the Roadmap, increasing
from 4 million in 2011 to 7.48 million in 2013, an
increase of 85%.
The New NYC.gov
With over 35 million unique annual visitors, one
million pages and thousands of services, NYC.gov is
the digital manifestation of New York City govern-ment.
It is a powerful tool with nearly limitless
potential to impact the future of government by
streamlining complex processes, surfacing critical
information and enhancing the lives of New Yorkers
by connecting them to events, programs, services
and civic engagement.
With this in mind, the City began a process in 2011
to redesign NYC.gov with an emphasis on usability,
consistency, accessibility and scalability. The goal
was not merely to meet standards for existing munic-ipal
web destinations, but to provide a superior expe-rience
that rivals the best-designed, most intuitive
platforms across both public and private sectors—
1.2M + =
7.48M
4M
*S T D R

(2011)
A

.
*S @.’

F

T
F F
T

300 Q

T
2,000 T

200,000 N

320,000 F

1M Y

M

NYC Digital Roadmap 2013

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