BYO projects

BYO projects is a collection of projects curated by Yasmin Fodil. We showcase projects that make the world a better place through creative problem solving, experience design, technology, and community engagement. All submitted projects are considered...

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BlindSquare: Helping the Visually Impaired with Their Daily Lives

“BlindSquare is a new solution that combines the latest technology to help the blind with their daily lives.”

BlindSquare is an app currently available for iPhones and iPads (hopefully coming soon for Android devices) that uses GPS and the device’s built-in compass to locate where a person is and then uses data from Foursquare to inform the person about locations nearby that they may be interested in. The suggestions are communicated to the person using the device’s speech capabilities.

If the person is interested in any of the suggested locations, they can then use their device to do any of the following tasks:

Get contact info (address, phone number)

Open the location’s website, twitter feed, or other related sites

Open a restaurant’s menu

Call the locaiton

Start tracking the place (BlindSquare will assist you by repeating the distance and the clock face direction)

Start your favorite navigator for turn-by-turn instructions

Mark a location so it can be found more easily later

BlindSquare can be used to find interesting places while walking, or while traveling by bus, car, or train – and can even report upcoming stops while using public transportation.

“BlindSquare makes you sense what's around you. The only thing you need to do is listen.”

How does this project make the world a better place? BlindSquare enables blind and visually impaired people to more be spontaneous instead of having to plan out every stop on a trip before leaving the house. It helps them explore neighborhoods and try new things on their own – without needing to rely on others.

Who is the intended audience? Blind or visually impaired people, especially those in urban areas. (due to the increased number of Foursquare locations logged)

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? The developers of this app have set a great example for combining existing data and tools with their own work in order to create something useful. Think about ways you can build upon a pre-existing object or platform to improve upon it.

Also, since the app works by suggesting locations logged within FourSquare, one way you can indirectly help users of BlindSquare is by logging more locations in FourSquare.

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Biblioburro: The amazing story of a mobile library on the back of a donkey

This week, we simply wanted to share with you this amazing video we recently came across -- the story of a man in Colombia who travels with a mobile library on the backs of donkeys to share his books with kids in rural areas. The video is a few years old, and even though it's difficult to find updates on his story, it's exciting to think about the progress Luis Soriano may have made since this was recorded!

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CommunityMatters: Using Conference Calls to Engage Communities

CommunityMatters is "a commons for those working to steer change, engage citizens and build strong, vibrant communities from the ground up”. Their network includes leaders, thinkers and doers in a variety of disciplines – planning, sustainability, health, democracy, education, economic development and the arts - all of which are critical to building stronger communities.

In early 2009 BYO worked with CommunityMatters to develop a way to engage with their audience in a deep and meaningful way.  After several strategy sessions we collectively came up with a concept to run a conference call series. Each 60-minute call fosters conversation about critical issues, tools and inspiring stories of community building.

The conference call series is still going strong, and draws approximately 100 diverse participants each month. Calls cover a wide range of topics in community planning and building – including diversity, equity, sustainability, skill building, storytelling, placemaking, DIY urbanism, civic engagement and technology.

Each call includes a facilitator and two speakers - one who is thinking about the topic on a higher level and another who is in the trenches implementing. The goals of each call are to:

impart inspirational stories to participants 

showcase new tools and ideas to to experiment with 

provide a realistic view of implementation challenges and how to overcome them. 

These conference calls are not a one-way conversations. Those listening in have several options when deciding how to participate, including:

submitting questions ahead of time when they register 

submitting questions via a live google doc; the facilitator then calls on individuals with questions in turn 

taking notes via the google doc 

speaking up during specific points in the call when group mute is paused 

The google doc has proved to be an excellent way to moderate questions on the conference call, which can otherwise get unwieldy.

How does this project make the world a better place? The conference call series is helping to spread ideas about real, tangible change in communities. Different communities often struggle with the same set of challenges, but rarely get the chance to connect with each other and share best practices and advice. The series has proven to be a great way for people to find ideas that will aid in strengthening their own communities. In an area of jargon and empty ideas, conference call participants really appreciate hearing honest stories about what works and what doesn't.

Furthermore, this is a great example of picking the right tool for your audience. Instead of using a digital platform or webinar which is all too popular, we decided to use a tool that is more accessible to people in small towns and rural areas that might not have access to a smart phone or high-speed internet at home – the telephone. This ensures that people who do not yet have robust digital skills or do not have time to sit in front of a computer can still be successfully engaged.

Who is the intended audience? The conference call series draws 100 different people each month, and includes participants from towns of 500 people to people from the biggest cities in the country. CommunityMatters recruits call participants from all areas to show how something in NYC might work in a rural area, and vice versa. They have had callers from all 50 states, 12 foreign countries, non-profit and city leaders, unaffiliated citizen organizers, teachers, academics and other planning professionals, all brought together by their common mission to strengthen their communities.

How can our readers extend the impact of this work? Join us for a call, or help spread the word to others who may be interested!

RSVP for the next call (May 9th): https://www.orton.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=65

Sign up for updates from CommunityMatters: http://www.communitymatters.org/get-updates

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Softwalks: Improving the Pedestrian Experience in NYC

New York City is covered with "sidewalk sheds" -- the unsightly scaffolding that protects pedestrians from falling debris from constructions sites. Most sidewalk sheds are up anywhere from 6 months to 2 years and many are not even active construction sites.

The folks from Softwalks have put together a kit of parts that can transform these inactive sites into functional public places that foster interaction, conversation, and pedestrian-friendliness in general. The kit includes a planter, chair, and a counter.

The team is currently working on piloting this kit in hopes that they can collaborate with NYC Business Improvement Districts to implement the project throughout the city in the future.

How does this project make the world a better place? “Placemaking and re-imagining urban landscapes are important to consider as more and more people move into cities worldwide. Did you know by 2050, over 80% of the world's population will live in cities? This is one step for Softwalks, as we will continue to work on designing amenities and interventions to make urban centers lively and social." - The Softwalks team

Who is the intended audience? Visitors and residents of NYC -- and according to Softwalks, eventually people in other cities around the world.

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? This is a great lesson in rethinking the use of public spaces and creating more people-centered cities. Sidewalk sheds are eyesores -- and they are a constant in any New Yorker's life. How can you improve something that you encounter every day?

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Nametag Day: Sparking Spontaneous Connections in NYC

"What good is sharing a city like New York with millions of other people if you can't connect with them? On most days of the year, you pass by your fellow pedestrians without noticing them."

On June 1st, all that will (hopefully) change. Thanks to a grant from the Awesome Foundation (a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of awesomeness in the universe), Nametag Day will seek to break down barriers and connect people all across NYC. The folks behind the event hope to distribute 200,000 nametags throughout the city -- sparking new friendships and shared experiences.

How does this project make the world a better place? "All too often, we can forget to notice the people around us. Nametag Day aims to break this barrier and strengthen the human element of the New York experience, adding a bit of spontaneity and silliness to people's day."

Who is the intended audience? Anyone who lives in NYC or will be visiting on June 1st!

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? Nametag day is seeking any help that people are willing to provide. If you have experience with event planning or volunteer coordination or want to volunteer to hand out nametags, head to their site! If you are not in New York and want to help, you can donate to their project and of course spread the word!

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The 99% invisible activity that shapes our world

We love podcasts. They are awesome for listening to during commutes, while on a walk, on road trips, during work, while laying on the beach, or really anytime you want to be engaged, entertained, and/or educated in an audio format! If you are a fan of BYO projects there is one podcast you must check out: 99% Invisible.

99% Invisible is "a tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world." Episodes range from five to 25 minutes long and are released about every two weeks. The show's topics vary widely -- covering things you've always wondered about as well as things you've never even thought to wonder about.

Some of our favorite episodes include those about the design of US Postal Service Stamps, Steering Wheels, Check Cashing Stores, Net Neutrality and the Cabilization of the Internet and our favorite language, Esperanto.

How does this project make the world a better place?  99% Invisible does a great job of drawing the listener in and creating a compelling story about things that are typically invisible and unthought-of. It's important to sometimes take a step back from everyday life to think about how and why things are the way they are. 

Who is the intended audience? Anyone who is curious about the world around them. Anyone who has ever wondered how something works. People who are passionate about design. People who have never thought about design.

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? Give it a listen! You can download the podcast through iTunes or directly from the 99% Invisible site. If you like it, subscribe to it, write a positive review, and tell your friends to listen too.

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Flocksourcing: Using "Flocks" + Mobile Phones to Create the First Bus Map of Dhaka

Urban Launchpad, a "social-venture dedicated to building open urban info-structures in places around the world that need it most" recently received funding through Kickstarter to create the first bus map of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Millions of people ride the bus everyday in Dhaka -- but there is no formal public bus system. Riders use an informal network of privately operated independent services. There are very few bus stops and no explanatory signage. Riders must jump on and off the bus while it is moving -- all while avoiding the chaotically crowded streets which are full of people, cars, and rickshaws.

Urban Launchpad's goal is to maintain a low rate of car use in Dhaka (currently at 1%) and they hope to accomplish this by improving the bus system. They believe that information can be "a powerful catalyst for improving service in general" and so the first step towards improvement is to provide information about buses to riders.

They teamed up with Kewkradong to collect data about the buses. Using smartphones, they tracked 270 buses on two lines. They also surveyed 1000 people. They were able to collect data on routes, travel times, crowd levels, as well as information about riders and what makes them happy. This was just a pilot. The goal of the Kickstarter campaign (which was a success!) was to raise money to scale up the pilot to cover the entire network of buses in Dhaka and use the data to create something useful for riders.

Urban Launchpad will be creating paper maps (printed locally in Dhaka) that are pocket-sized for individuals as well as larger formats to be posted in public gathering spaces. However, these pieces are just the beginning -- the team hopes to use the data they collect to create bus stop signs and bus tracking apps. This model also has the potential to be implemented in other cities around the world.

How does this project make the world a better place? Urban Launchpad is taking initiative to provide a service not currently provided by the government or the private bus operators. But more importantly, they are providing this much-needed service in a format that makes sense for its users. Their initial pilot survey determined that few riders use smartphones, so they decided to create and distribute a paper map first.

Also, all the data that is collected will be openly available for anyone to "mash-up and visualize into other important insights for bus riders, operators and the city."

Who is the intended audience? The 5,000,000+ riders of buses in Dhaka

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? There is a lot of talk about using data to make the world a better place, but not much talk about how to gather or generate the data in the first place. We often wait for government agencies to release data, as these institutions are often seen as the arbiters of information when it comes to data about our cities. This project should inspire all of us to think about ways in which we can generate the data we need, instead of waiting for a large institution to provide it to us. In this case the project developers used the concept of "flocksourcing," whereby large groups of people with mobile phones can generate extremely useful urban data that can be turned into useful tools for city denizens. 

  Video and images from Kickstarter

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Tool Library: Collaborative Consumption in Toronto

The average power drill is used for just 12-13 minutes in its lifetime, and starts at about $50. For the same amount of money, Toronto residents are able to purchase a yearly membership to the new Toronto Tool Library, which had its grand opening this past weekend.

A tool library is a service that gives members of a community free or reduced-cost access to tools. Tools are great items to share because they can be expensive, large, or only used in very specific situations. Many people only own a few basic tools, but sometimes home repair or community projects require more specialized or higher-quality tools. That's where a tool library can come in handy.

TTL (Toronto Tool Library) provides access to over 500 tools (all of which have been donated by the community) including saws, lawnmowers, drills, painting equipment, and more! Check out their full inventory here: http://irbe.localtools.org/library/inventory/browse. They will also be offering workshops.

The concept of the tool library has been around since the 70's and is continuing to grow in popularity as our economy becomes more collaborative. Check and see if there is a tool library in your city!

How does this make the world a better place? The world is currently bursting with sharing/lending services (like the Tool Library), open-source technology, and peer-to-peer commerce, which all lend themselves to an increase of community-building, collaborations, and opportunities. Resource sharing brings people together in a sustainable way, as it maximizes the lifetime use of various tools or products. 

Who is the intended audience? The audience for the Toronto Tool Library is individuals or organizations looking to access a large selection of high quality tools for a very reduced cost. However, this concept should inspire all of us to think about how we can maximize the resources that we need or own in our own lives. 

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? Learn about tool libraries or other resource sharing services in your city and donate materials or your time.

If there isn't one consider starting one up. What resources do you have sitting in your basement or closet that you might be able to get more mileage out of by sharing with a neighbor or friend? Do you have an upcoming purchase that you can split with someone? Can you start your own tool collective?

(images from the Toronto Tool Library facebook page)

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Digital Innovation Lab: Creating Socially-Conscious Tech Startups

This winter I taught a class called Digital Innovation Lab at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. The goal of this class is to help students of public service come up with concepts for socially-conscious tech products.

After six four-hour sessions students came up with a range of awesome ideas about how to use web and mobile apps to solve critical public problems.

How does this project make the world a better place? Advances in the capabilities of digital technology to organize, create and share information combined with the pervasiveness of personal technology devices has transformed our society in innumerable ways. Technology has also changed the way that institutions interact with and serve their constituents

However, in my experience most of the people using technology to change the world are people trained in computer science - professionals with backgrounds in public policy, nonprofit management or public service tend to rely on analog methods of making change and are often afraid of using technology as a resource. 

This class aims to give students of public service the tools they need to be digital change agents in their area of focus, bringing a sorely needed content area expertise to the realm of digital change-making.

The students are already bringing their concepts into reality. One student, Chris Whong, used the course to develop a concept called govSee, a "Google Earth for Government Org Charts." govSee provides a "platform that allows citizens to quickly navigate the complex structures of government, stopping along the way to see names, faces, bios and links for people at every level."

Who is the intended audience The primary audience for the class is students of public service at NYU Wagner, although students from all schools at NYU are welcome to enroll.

How can our audience extend the impact of this work?

Encourage schools of public policy to offer more courses on digital technology.

Check out govSee's entry to the Knight New Challenge and lend your support via a comment or applause.

Take a look at the innovations that my students came up with - and reach out to me if you would like to be connected to any of them.

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The Center for Urban Pedagogy: Making Information Accessible, Enjoyable, and Meaningful

The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is "a nonprofit organization that uses design and art to improve civic engagement. CUP projects demystify the urban policy and planning issues that impact our communities, so that more individuals can better participate in shaping them."

CUP believes that the first step in improving and increasing community participation in urban policy is to improve the community's understanding of how the underlying systems work. 

They work to build this understanding through design -- creating beautiful print + digital materials that break down complex issues into "simple, accessible, visual explanations" which can then aid constituents in advocating for their community's needs.

The materials are created collaboratively by design professionals, community advocates, policymakers, and CUP staff. Some pieces are created with NYC schools and afterschool groups as part of CUP's youth education initiatives. Each piece has a "strong visual presence and a focus on making information accessible, enjoyable, and meaningful."

You can learn more about CUP's work on their site. Many pieces are available to view or download -- check out a few great ones:

What's In the Water?: a fold-out poster that breaks down how fracking works, and shows the risks it poses to the drinking water, food, and environment.

I Got Arrested, Now What?: a comic book guide to NYC’s juvenile justice system.

What is Affordable Housing?: a guide, a wall chart, and an interactive online map.

Vendor Power!: a poster that decodes the rules and regulations for New York’s 10,000 street vendors so they can understand their rights and avoid unnecessary fines

You can also purchase printed versions of many of their materials.

How does this project make the world a better place?  There are many complex urban institutions that impact our lives, often times without us even knowing. The Center for Urban Pedagogy demystifies these institutions, enabling constituents to improve their lives and communities.

Who is the intended audience?  "CUP projects produce visual tools designed to be used by constituencies that can most benefit from the information. These audiences include community organizations, who use the products in their own organizing efforts; educators, who use the products in their classrooms; and other constituencies addressed in particular projects, such as New York City street vendors or residents of public housing."

"CUP publications and teaching tools are made for and with specific groups in specific places, but they reach a national audience of people interested in civics education and graphic and information design."

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? You can use CUP's materials in our own community to educate yourself and others and enable change. If you live in NYC and are an artist, designer, educator, or can help in other ways, you can sign up to volunteer for CUP.

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Peatónito: Using Lucha Libre to Fight for Pedestrian Rights

This past week, BYO attended Social Media Week, a global event about “exploring the social, cultural and economic impact of social media”. See a recap of social media week on our BYO consulting blog. 

One of the events we attended was a panel discussion called "It’s My City: Civic Participation In Urban Development." The discussion comprised of in-person and video chat panelists who addressed questions around how to get citizens actively involved in creating smarter cities. Panelists included representatives from UNICEF, Code for America, SeeClickFix, Purpose, Cidades para Pessoas, and Meu Rio. 

One of the most interesting stories that came out of the discussion was from Natália Garcia of Cidades para Pessoas. Natália is doing an amazing project where she spends time in different cities around the world investigating and documenting the good ideas that have made life better for its residents. She hopes to expand upon these good ideas and bring improvements to the cities in her home country of Brazil. 

The story she told us was about Peatónito, an amazing man who fights for the rights of pedestrians in Mexico City, appropriately dressed as a luchador.

"The pedestrian is 1st" 

Mexico City has a lot of vehicular traffic, which has led to a high number of pedestrian injuries. About 9500 pedestrians are injured each year.

Peatónito (peatón is pedestrian in spanish) dresses up as a Luchador and fights for pedestrian rights. The mask he wears looks like Mexico City's "pedestrian crossing" signs and his message is that "walking is an ideal form of transportation in a city as dense as Mexico City. It takes up less space; it does not pollute and it provides a healthy form of daily exercise. The message is that walking should be more important in Mexico City mobility policy."

One of the coolest things he does is painting crosswalks and pedestrian paths where they don't currently exist. He also removes obstacles from sidewalks and works with street vendors to make sure that there is enough room for not only pedestrians, but wheelchair users.

Peatónito helps a blind man cross the street -- there are no traffic lights in this area of the city.

  Peatónito paints a line in the street to create a wider area for pedestrians to walk.

How does this project make the world a better place? 

"Decades of car-centred strategies make it difficult to move towards more sustainable mobility patterns. This is why the actions of Peatónito are important and inspiring. As a local superhero, he presents a friendly character to inspire people to change their habits and behaviour. In a city of millions this is a big challenge but his actions, and the support for them, strengthen the position of the pedestrian as a key aspect of the mobility agenda. Through the dissemination of information via public performances and social networks, this superhero has become an active stakeholder." 

Who is the intended audience?  Residents and government officials of Mexico City.

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? Peatónito teaches us two important lessons: 1. the power of taking action and 2. the importance of finding ways to connect with your audience.

He is fighting for his cause by actually doing something - instead of lobbying for more sidewalks he paints them himself. In one case this inspired the mayor of Mexico City to actually construct the sidewalk he painted. Furthermore, he is doing it in a way which connects to his audience. Lucha Libre is very popular in Mexico, and by embodying the spirit of a luchador he is able to connect with residents who might not otherwise pay attention of issues of transportation and mobility. 

All photos from Peatónito's facebook page. See more photos + updates from Peatónito on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peatonito and twitter: https://twitter.com/peatonito

Quotes from Case Study: http://www.eltis.org/index.php?id=13&study_id=3596

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Reinvent Payphones: Maximizing Fading Urban Infrastructure

New York City's payphone vendor agreement is expiring in 2014, and the city has issued a challenge to students, urban planners, designers, technologists, architects, creators, and legal and policy experts to completely reinvent them.

While payphone use has decreased in the age of mobile phones, they are still used by thousands of New Yorkers every day. Also, payphone use tripled in areas that lost power during Hurricane Sandy. The city's goal in reimagining payphones is to make NYC more accessible, safer, healthier, greener and better informed.

At this time all submissions have been collected, and you'll be able to see the chosen 15 semifinalists present their physical and/or virtual prototypes to a panel of judges on Demo Day -- March 5th. Get more info here: http://reinventpayphones.splashthat.com

Submissions will be judged by the following criteria:

Connectivity: Ability to connect New Yorkers and enable communication, including for safety and emergency purposes

Creativity: Originality, innovation and quality of idea

Visual Design: Including visual appeal and user experience

Functionality: Flexibility, versatility, scalability, accessibility and sustainability

Community Impact: Support of local residents, businesses and cultural institutions

The city has also posed the following interesting questions (among others) to keep in mind for the new designs:

How can the City to use payphones for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery?

How can new payphones continue to generate City revenue while adding value?

What is the user experience of using the future payphone?

How can sidewalk payphones be redesigned to enhance aesthetics and integrate seamlessly with city streets and public infrastructure?

How does this project make the world a better place? This project takes advantage of a fading infrastructure and turns it into an opportunity for innovation -- ensuring that urban infrastructure remains relevant and useful for New Yorkers.

Who is the intended audience? This specific challenge was geared towards students, urban planners, designers, technologists, architects, creators and legal and policy experts.

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? The lesson in this project is about rethinking something thought to be dead -- instead of destroying the existing payphone infrastructure the city is thinking about how to repurpose it for the digital age. Our readers are encouraged to do the same. Our modern life is layered with faded and fading infrastructures waiting to be reimagined.

- - - - -

P.S. -  This is not the first time that people have thought about alternative uses for old payphones! Check out the video below about an NYC designer who turned several payphone kiosks into libraries. (read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/nyregion/ny-designer-puts-lending-libraries-into-pay-phone-kiosks.html). This is happening all over the world and you can even get instructions for how to do it yourself here: http://www.good.is/posts/how-to-turn-a-payphone-into-a-library/

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Candy Cabbie: Making NYC Sweeter

Mansoor Khalid, also known as the "Candy Cabbie" is a NYC taxi driver who stocks his cab full of candy for his passengers. The entire back windshield area is chock full of candy -- Skittles, Nerds, Gobstoppers, and according to his twitter feed, he has recently added multiple types of chocolates into the mix!

“The New York life is not the easy life,” Mansoor told NY Daily News. “People are depressed. I see a lot of people stressed sitting back there."

Regarding his passengers' reactions to the sweet treats Mansoor said, "It’s a little thing, but people get happy.”

photo from: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cab-sweet-ride-article-1.1175246

Mansoor was inspired to begin his mission to cheer up New Yorkers after experiencing a personal tragedy. Sadly, his two year old son passed away from heart disease. When at the hospital caring for his son, Mansoor would bring coffee and desserts for the doctors and nurses in the middle of the night. He loved how happy they would get and enjoyed the friendly relationship that came along with it. After his son died, he decided he wanted to continue spreading joy to the people he interacts with everyday -- his passengers.

If you live in NYC or are visiting, cross your fingers that the next cab you duck into is the Candy Cab!!

How does this project make the world a better place?  Aside from the obvious answer in that he is giving out free candy, which would make anyone's personal world a better place -- Mansoor Khalid shows us an amazing example of turning a negative into a positive. He is resilient, and has stayed kind and generous in the face of a personal tragedy -- even using that tragedy as inspiration.

Who is the intended audience?  Anyone in NYC on any given day!

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? Follow Mansoor's lead and take some time to make someone happy -- especially a stranger. Perform random acts of kindness!

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American Girl Doll Lending Program at a NYC Public Library

Last week we learned about a library in NYC that made an American Girl Doll available for loan. For years the doll, Kirsten Larson, sat in storage at the Ottendorfer branch of the New York Public Library. Originally, librarians felt the doll was too expensive to even risk displaying her, but Thea Taube, the children's librarian at the branch thought differently.

“I thought, ‘Well, we loan out books that are that expensive, so why can’t we lend her out too?’” said Ms. Taube, who hoped the doll would attract more children to the branch, leading them to read the doll books. (see full original article)

Now, children who would otherwise not have access to such an expensive doll are able to "adopt" her for days or weeks at a time, in a similar fashion to borrowing books. Because dolls are not typically lent out, the children's librarian relied on the honor system when children borrowed the doll.

After a few years of living in a new home every couple of weeks, Kirsten is a bit worse for wear -- her arm and leg joints are loose and her hair is so matted that it needs to be replaced. She is being sent to the American Girl Doll "Hospital" in Wisconsin for repair.

photo from http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/doll-of-pioneers-spirit-explores-the-city-one-loan-at-a-time/

Since the original article, the New York Times has issued an update to the story.

After hearing about the branch's doll, many people have offered to donate more dolls or money to libraries. But NYPL officials have stated that they cannot accept the overwhelming number of doll donations and that those who offered to donate should "consider donating them to their local child welfare organization."

However, the branch received doll donations anyway, including 2 dolls addressed to the girls mentioned by name in the original article.

Now, a repaired Kirsten and three new dolls (Rebecca, Saige, and Kit) will each be placed in a backpack with corresponding books as well as a diary so that each child who borrows a doll can write about her visit.

Ms. Taube said Kirsten exemplified the library as a community center that offered diverse services and lending materials.

“I tell the kids that the library belongs to them,” she said. “And I think that any child who could not afford that doll will remember the time they were able to borrow it from the library.”

How does this project make the world a better place?  The library has always been an important piece of civic infrastructure that aims to give people access to information. The changes in the information industry mean that books are no longer the arbiters of knowledge and information, and libraries have had to rethink their role in this industry. This story is a perfect example of how libraries are adapting to this new world - recognizing that learning happens in experience just as much as in books. 

Who is the intended audience?  This story should serve as inspiration to other NYPL libraries and library systems in other cities around the country.

How can our audience extend the impact of this work? Inquire at your local library about programs that lend items other than books, and see how you might help out. 

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Front Porch Forum: Connecting Neighbors through Technology

Front Porch Forum's mission is to "help neighbors connect and build community...by hosting regional networks of online neighborhood forums." 

Michael Wood-Lewis and his wife, Valerie started Front Porch Forum in 2006, out of a growing need to connect with their neighbors in Burlington VT. 

He realized - as is similar in many small towns across America - that he lived in a wonderful neighborhood and folks were good neighbors, but it was extremely hard to break in. 

Now, 7 years later, Front Porch Forum covers 45% of Vermont with 45,000 subscribers across the state. 

"Members post on just about any topic that neighbors discuss. Common issues include lost pets, mechanic recommendations, block parties, break-ins, helping neighbors in need, group buying, politics, buy/sell/give away items, wildlife sightings, and much more."

How does this project make the world a better place? 

Many factors lead us to be less connected to our neighborhood than we used to be:

We all move more than we used to 

A dearth of stay-at-home parents turns some communities into ghost towns during the day 

People are commuting further to work 

We have many electronic diversions 

"Common sense and a growing body of research tells us that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and public utilities." 

Front Porch Forum allows people to make connections with their neighbors - connections they may otherwise not make.

Who is the intended audience? 

Front Porch Forum currently covers 45% of Vermont, and is starting to branch into other states. The goal is to reach everybody in a given neighborhood or community. 

How can our readers extend the impact of this work? 

Extend the mission of FPF by connecting with your neighbors, using Front Porch Forum if it is available in your community or helping to spread the word about its impact. 

[byoprojects]

Special Edition: NYC Sandy Recovery + Technology

Hi there, 

I am writing this from a coworking space in Berlin, where I am stranded until next week as NYC attempts to recover from Hurricane Sandy. 

I felt compelled to write a special edition BYO projects post about Recovers.org, a "community software that efficiently organizes volunteers, donations and information" in an emergency. There are several recovery.org portals in NYC: Astoria Recovers, Staten Island Recovers, the Lower East Side Recovers and Red Hook Recovers. 

Emergencies have a way of bringing people together, and digital technologies can go a long way in catalyzing people to care for one another. 

Here are some additional ways that people are coming together to share information and organize recovery efforts: 

Volunteer Sign-Up Form coordinated by the NYC Public Advocate's Office

Hurricane Sandy subreddit and the NYC subredditwhere people are sharing real-time information and tips and coordinate offers of help

Text your need to 347-778-0570 and it gets plotted on a map for volunteers and community members to see: https://rhiwifi.co/hurricane/ 

Also, some volunteer efforts specifically for people who have tech skills to offer: 

Post Hurricane Sandy Tech Volunteers coordinated by New York Tech Meetup and New Work City to help NY-area businesses get their tech back up and running after Sandy

 A growing collection of tech efforts can be found here. 

If you come across any other recovery efforts please send them to [email protected] and we'll update this post. You can also share them on our facebook page. 

Best, 

Yasmin 

[byoprojects]

Code for Change: Designing Technology for Social Good

This Fall NYU's Wagner School is hosting a Code for Change, a new kind of civic technology competition to solve some of NYC's most pressing social problems. Unlike a traditional hackathon NYU's Wagner School's event features a two-week collaboration period (September 28th - October 12th) and will focus on real-world challenges from local nonprofits and government agencies. 

How does this project make the world a better place?  Code for Change asks participants to engage with the selected challenge over the course of two weeks, giving them the opportunity to deeply dive into the challenge.

Furthermore, all of the challenges are related to actual life-changing problems of local nonprofits or government agencies (see below). Using real-world scenarios that may actually be implemented are much more likely to make an impact than hackathons whose sole goal is to use government data in interesting ways. 

Access New York City Social Services: Help one of New York City’s largest social services organizations use mobile technology to help families in need quickly access needed social services and mental health and family resources. Challenge sponsor: Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services | More details 

Rethink Client Intake for HIV/AIDS Service Agency: Design and implement a new tablet-based client intake process for the world’s first and leading provider of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy. A new system will save staff time and reduce duplication, enabling clients to get better care and attention.  Challenge sponsor: Gay Men’s Health Crisis | More details

Help New Yorkers Participate in the Democratic Process: Expand citizen participation in New York City’s democratic process by providing meaningful information to voters. Help identify and develop new ways for New York City citizens to get information on voting as well as increase engagement with candidates, campaigns and issues. Challenge sponsor: Campaign Finance Board / Voter Assistance Advisory Committee | More details

Connect Low-Income New York City to Opportunity: Throughout the City’s five boroughs there exist a wealth of services, opportunities and agencies dedicated to providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Create an easy way for youth and their families to navigate existing resources to find the right program, agency or skill-building opportunity. Challenge sponsor: New York City Department of Youth and Community Development | More details

Help New York City Use Crowdmapping to Prepare for Severe Weather: Fast access to information about weather events like hurricanes and storms can save lives. Help New York City create a crowdmapping platform that empowers the millions of people that live and work here to share information and photos of incoming weather.  Challenge sponsor: New York City Office of Emergency Management | More detail

Who is the intended audience?  Code for Change is looking for  coders, designers, data scientists, and other innovator to participate in the two-week challenge and attack some of NYC's most pressing social problems. 

How can our audience extend the impact of this work?  Reserve your spot @ Code for Change launch (eventbrite) View and comment on challenge briefs    Enter your solution idea in response to any challenge

The competition begins on September 28th at 3:00 pm EST when teams come together and finalize work plans, but spaces are filling up and you must pre-register to participate (the deadline to register is September 25th). More details here