EveryBlock, a site that has pioneered the local news space, today rolled out its microlocal site in Portland, Oregon (). EveryBlock will soon offer news feeds down to the neighborhood block level, which will allow people to track news and information about what’s happening in their neighborhoods in Portland.
The city of Portland's Bureau of Technology Services has launched an Open Data Initiative to promote increased transparency and openness in government. EveryBlock has worked with city agencies in Portland for several weeks to collect, analyze and organize data in a meaningful and useful way for consumers. This was in response to demand for EveryBlock from those who live and work in Portland and the city’s release of raw data. The city of Portland recently announced its CivicApps Challenge (http://www.civicapps.org/). The datasets released by the city provide a strong base for EveryBlock Portland.
“People who live and work in Portland said they wanted EveryBlock in their city, and we're thrilled to launch here,” said Adrian Holovaty, general manager of EveryBlock. “The beauty of EveryBlock is that residents can get a lot of frequently updated information about their neighborhoods – all in one place.”
“Portland is a great example of a city government opening up data that allows developers to display it in ways that make sense to residents,” said Dan O’Neil, manager of business development for EveryBlock. “We can help local governments plan initiatives and open the data for all to use, and we have the ability to quickly launch robust news sites anywhere open data standards exist.”
EveryBlock’s “Notify Your Neighbors” feature allows the people of Portland to comment and post announcements about their neighborhoods. Residents can share an eyewitness news report, start a discussion about a neighborhood-focused issue or let neighbors know about a missing pet or garage sale. As soon as the announcement is posted, it gets published to nearby EveryBlock users, who can then post comments or ask additional questions.
EveryBlock is available in 16 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Users can visit or download the free iPhone app (http://www.everyblock.com/about/iphone/) to join the discussion of what's happening in their neighborhoods.
Municipalities who would like to make data available to EveryBlock or learn more about the company can contact the EveryBlock team at (773) 321-8146.