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Page last updated on February 21, 2020 at 12:48 pm

For more information, please contact

Devta Kidd

Director of Innovation

kiddd@bloomington.in.gov

(812) 349-3552

Let's Get Visual! to Generate New Perspectives on Public Data

WHAT: A City-centered data visualization challenge to explore and reveal information contained within the City of Bloomington’s 200-plus data sets.  The four-hour event will leverage experts in the field of data analysis and visualization to help unlock the content of some of the data tables housed at B-Clear, the City’s open data portal.  More information and the afternoon’s agenda are available at the City’s innovation site.  

WHO: The City of Bloomington is partnering with BMG Hack, the local Code for America Brigade, to present this civic data challenge.  The event is open to the community. Journalists, researchers, students and others with an interest in civic data are encouraged to attend.  Technical expertise is not required to attend; non-coders and first-time hackers are welcome. Registration to attend the free event is available here.     

WHEN: Saturday, February 22, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.  

WHERE: City Hall Atrium (401 North Morton Street)

WHY: Mayor John Hamilton directed the City ITS department to create the B-Clear site to increase the accessibility of public data, related to everything from water quality to road conditions to crime statistics and more.  The event aims to raise awareness about the availability of these data sets, some of which are updated daily. Visualization can make data contained in spreadsheets and reports more user-friendly and may generate insights and questions that could lead to improved City services.   

WHAT’S NEXT: The event will be followed up with an "analog" hack in May during which participants will layer City data visualizations printed onto 11x17 transparencies to compare disparate sets and unlock more insights.  For more upcoming events led by the City’s Office of Innovation, please visit the Innovation site.