OpenPlans builds open source civic infrastructure. We collaborate with the public sector to create technology for more efficient, responsive, and inclusive government. Our tools address difficult transportation and planning problems — from multi-modal trip planning to public input on infrastructure projects.
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Developers, city agencies, transportation officials, let’s work together to help your city work better.
OpenTripPlanner Analyst turns the multi-modal power of OpenTripPlanner into an analytical toolbox for exploring accessibility. If you missed it, here’s an excellent primer from Andrew Byrd about the capabilities and future potential of this tool. And fresh from the lab, here’s the first-cut of an animation of accessibility in the New York City area: What’s going on Read more…
POPS are Privately Owned Public Spaces. In New York City there are more than 525 plazas, arcades and other indoor and outdoor spaces, created by a special zoning incentive. In a city as dense as ours, POPS are rare open spaces for public use – ideal for a lunch break, meeting new people, and taking Read more…
At OpenPlans, we want to see more citizen-led neighborhood planning. We believe that online tools can help people connect, gather data and organize for positive local change. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to build new tools for community planning. When we identify a problem and a tool that can help fix it, we build Read more…
Frank Hebbert and Streetsblogs’ Ben Fried spoke at the Metropolitian Planning Council roundtable discussion on technology’s role in community planning and citizen engagement. At question was how new technologies will enrich the planning process, make it more transparent and improve participation, both in number of citizens involved and the quality of interaction. Frank sums it up: “It’s Read more…
Coming to the American Planning Association 2013 conference in Chicago? Vote up our panel about civic hacking and urban planning! Aaron Ogle will be on stage with a great line up — Jason Lally from PlaceMatters (@synchronouscity), Kevin Curry from Code for America (@kmcurry), Derek Eder from Open City Apps (@derek_eder), and Alicia Rouault from Code for America Read more…
Back in August we successfully crowdfunded our multi-modal iOS transit app (thanks again, all 838 Kickstarter backers!). The team is hurtling along with development. Here’s the latest with the front end team – + finished wireframes and mockups. + developing the beta version of the app. + working on finding the best platform from which to deliver the beta version to Read more…
We had a splendid little open house here as part of Beyond Beta. OpenPlans team members Aaron Sutula, Andy Cochran, and Eva Shon presented their work, including the development of our upcoming iPhone app, Shareabouts and MTA Bus Time. Stop by for another open house as past of Walkabouts on 10/18, rsvp here. Here’s some Read more…
The OpenPlans office is one magical place, filled with designers, developers, map-makers, journalists, advocates and transportation nerds who have a strong leaning towards open data, livable cities, accountable government and healthy appreciation for maps. We open our doors and offer desk space to similarly minded folk to work from our office. 148 Lafayette St is the civic tech hotspot of NYC, Read more…
What does your Street of Dreams looks like? Are there children playing? Neighbors congregating? Is it car-free? Are there places to sit and amenities to enjoy? Is there dedicated space for transit? Is it paved with cobblestones? Is it lit by human-scaled light fixtures? Are there plenty of trees and flowers? No parked cars? Plenty of bike Read more…
Did your bikeplanner.org trip not reflect the world as you know it? Since we launched bikeplanner.org and cibi.me, users have alerted us to bike infrastructure that exists in the real world but isn’t showing up on the map. They’ve noted locations where the map lacks on-street bike paths, trails and other features. OpenTripPlanner’s routing engine is powerful and fast, but it Read more…
New York City provides exciting, yet sometimes complicated opportunities for people who want to create local change. On the one hand, this is a city with a proven ability to reinvent itself over and over again, packed with innovative and creative people. On the other hand, in a city of more than 8 million people, Read more…
Stop by OpenPlans HQ at 11am – noon, October 10, 2012 for Beyond Beta, the open house complement to the Brooklyn Beta design conference. We’ll be opening our doors, then opening our mouths. Get ready for an open-source earful. The hourlong open house will include a quick office tour, followed by presentations of current projects, Read more…