Katowice 2013

Open Data Day: Katowice, Open City

A meeting of urban activists, designers and software developers under the motto: "Help us understand Katowice better".

Details:

medialabkatowice.eu @medialabkato

Come and help us:
 * identify the needs of your organization in terms of data access
 * design the process of change in the city
 * visualise unemployment data for residents aged 50+ across the region
 * create a directory of data sources on Katowice
 * map Katowice

Programme:

Panel: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Open Data.... Three short presentations of the idea of openness its practical implications for the life of a public institution or an NGO.

Karol Piekarski, Open… What? Presentation of the project Katowice, Open City: assumptions, current activities and plans for 2013.

Krzysztof Trzewiczek, Every Problem Is Trivial to Many Eyes Presentation of the sources and areas of application of the idea of openness - from public administration, through social movements around the world, to modern design.

Anna Kuliberda, Open Data: or What Do I Care… Presentation of real problems and benefits of openness in institutions and NGOs.

Open Working Group: City Data Visualisation + Open Katowice Data Directory Krzysztof Trzewiczek, Medialab Katowice, trzewiczek.info Karolina Chmiel, karochmiel.com

The Working Group, consisting of activists, urban designers and programmers, will develop a visualization of unemployment data in the region among those aged 50+. A Katowice data directory will also be created, including data links to improve searching for information about the city. You can also join the group with your own idea!

Workshop: Reversing Roles: Visualisation as a Method of Change Marek Kultys, marekkultys.com Lina Aue Pogatschnigg, linaue.netau.net

We suggest using visualisation as a tool for generating an informed change. The “Reversing Roles” workshop in Katowice is addressed to those individuals who are afraid neither to speculate, nor to create provocative thought experiments, nor to plan revolutions on paper. Full of respect for all gathered knowledge, but defiant towards conventional thinking, we will set out to answer this question: can one design a change?

“Reversing Roles” attempts to fuse information design and speculative design practice. Working collaboratively, we will try to reverse the conventional role of visualisation and use it in the performative, rather than the prevalent descriptive manner. The designer will be both the addresser and the addressee of the visualisation which is intended to become designer’s cognitive tool.

Anna Kuliberda, TechSoup Foundation
 * Workshop: Is Open Data of Use to Institutions and NGOs?

While carrying out their tasks, institutions and NGOs often use the information collected by the authorities, public institutions, and other organizations. Such data acquisition requires large amounts of time and involves burdensome procedures. The solution to this problem is open data. During a three-hour meeting we will try to verify the needs and capabilities of institutions and NGOs. We will work together to find out what data would improve the operation of your organization and how you can communicate information to your recipients more effectively.

Louise Francis, Mapping for Change
 * Workshop: Community Mapping Step by Step

The workshop will introduce the process of defining social problems and how to solve them using maps co-created by multiple participants. They learn the full work cycle in line with the Mapping for Change methodology, including the use of paper charts and the test version of the web portal. Participants will work on the specific Katowice problem of dog fouling which recurs every spring both on the pavements and in the media. The city, which is home to approximately 50 thousand dogs, has 105 dog waste bins. Are they located in the most needed spots? Where else should they be placed in the city centre? The workshop is intended to provide recommendations for change in this regard.

Afterparty: Cuefx (Jacek Latoń), soundcloud.com/cuefx


 * Organisers:
 * Medialab Katowice
 * Katowice - City of Gardens