Archive for March, 2011

Matt Biddulph on City Analytics

Matt Biddulph talked about City Analytics at the conference.

He is currently Head of Data Strategy for Ovi products at Nokia. A co-founder of Dopplr (acquired by Nokia in 2009), he has previously worked at the UK Press Association and the BBC, always focusing on data-driven products and finding patterns in information.

Matt BiddulphVisualization by Anna-Lena Schiller

Deck on Slideshare
Matt Biddulph

CoCities is a wrap

Thank you


Photo by Stefan Erschwendner

As we wind down from the weekend, we're rubbing our tired eyes and asking each other “Did this really happen? Did it really exceed all our expectations?”
The answer is – Yes, indeed, it did. We had an absolute blast having you all as our guests. We're super grateful for your participation, your enthusiasm and your feedback.

We're now trying to connect all the conference documentation and artifacts to make sure that the content and conversations continue and expand.

Photos, Videos & Decks

There's a flickr group where you can add your photos from the weekend.
flickr Group

We're working hard on compiling all the video footage and will publish all the talks and videos as soon as possible. We'll let you know when.

Here are some of the presentations on slideshare:

Urban Information Design
by Sami Niemelä

Bananas Pineapples and Mangos
by Dannie Jost

Spice Up Your City: Add OpenGov
by Ton Zijlstra

City analytics
by Matt Biddulph

Networked citizens and the city
by Magnus Christensson for day 2

Feedback

We don't want to miss the chance to hear from you about what worked and what we could do better next time. So please feel free to drop us a line.

Now we're going to go out, change the city and create something to present at the next conference. We hope you do too.

Talk to you soon

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Congratulations, Scavenger Hunt Winners!

CoCities would like to congratulate the winners of our official scavenger hunt, Team World 5-0! (5-0 is American slang for police.) The winning team, consisting of (from left to right) Kat Hoffman, Victoria Marshall, Henning Knopp, and Louis Belpaire, have a varied background, coming from the U.S., France, and Germany.

Coming up in second place was team Faster Pussycat. Portugal, Germany and the U.S. were represented. Good job guys! Just go faster next time.

For those of you who chose not to brave the cold in the name of glory and fame, you can still partake in the scavenger hunt – just without the  glory. Clues with answers below.

The Hunt (5 points per answer; 2 answers per clue)

  1. Name your team and take a team photo in front of an U-Bahn station sign. (Name; picture)
  2. Who is the renowned female North American urban planning theorist of the 1960s? The first 3 letters of her first name are the first 3 letters of an U-Bahn station. Go to the station 4 stops north of this on the same line. Upon arrival, exit east out of the station and continue until you see the noticeable main attraction. (Theorist; station name)
  3. As you walk through this attraction, notice that the sale of a particular type of item, only sold in pairs, is extremely popular. The first two letters of this item are the first two letters of a trendy coffee shop in very close vicinity. Go to this coffee shop. (Item; coffee shop name)
  4. Here at the coffee shop, a popular item on the menu could also be an apt description for one of Le Corbusier’s most famous buildings. The third letter of the first word of this menu item is also the first letter of a month. On the street named after this month, you’ll find a design bookshop. Go there. (Menu item; name of bookshop)
  5. When you’re here, check-in on Foursquare. (Bonus: topple Third Wave co-founder Johannes K. as mayor for an extra 20 points) Now find the fifth word of the 5th article in the current issue of McSweeney’s. (Screenshot of check-in; 5th word) And while you’re here, why don’t you read up on De Stijl?
  6. Which park shares a name with a style of architecture prevalent in late 19th century Western Europe? One of the streets leading into the park also shares a name with an eminent Swedish film director. Who is this director? (Name of park; name of director)
  7. Near the park is a culinary establishment dedicated to serving Berlin’s unofficially official dish. The name of the establishment includes the year in which Berlin’s Olympic Stadium was built. Instagram a picture of the team in front of this establishment, sign visible, eating one of their dishes. (Name of establishment; screenshot)
  8. Trivia Round: How many times did Warren Ellis take a sip of whiskey during his keynote? Which member of Yourneighbours is not blonde? (Drink of choice; name of non-blonde)
  9. Complete any 2 bonuses
  10. The architect Norman Foster was bestowed with a meritable title for his contributions to architecture in 1990. This title will help you find the name of the street on which your next stop is. There, the 4 letter name of a company that is unofficially known as the eBay of crafts is your answer. (Name of title; name of company)

You should now be a few steps away from the place where we will reconvene – and you’re now ready for your final clue:
Which strait-laced painter would have refused to walk down this street? (Painter’s name)


Bonuses. Completion of a bonus adds points to your score.

  1. Assume Foursquare mayorship of an establishment and add a tip. Screenshots optional – just tell us the name of the place. (5)
  2. Find a born-in-Berlin native (harder than it seems) and interview them on video. Ask them how the city has changed during their lives. (15)
  3. Where is this glass construction? (10)
  4. Take a picture of the team pushing a stroller in Prenzlauer Berg. (5)
  5. What is the name of the practice of determining an object’s geometric properties from photographs? (10)
  6. Take a team picture with Warren, Ben Hammersley, or Adam Greenfield (10)
  7. Receive an @-reply from Warren on Twitter. Send us the link or screenshot (15)
  8. Get Warren to follow a team member on Twitter. Send proof. (50. Each.)
  9. Take a picture of a team member eating a Japanese crepe or Bibimbap. (10)
  10. Record a video of a team member drinking a shot of Absinthe. (15)

Immediate Win if each team member receives an entrance stamp to Berghain. Email picture.

Answers:

1. –
2. Jane Jacobs, Jannowitzbrucke
3. Boots, Bonanza
4. Flat white, Do You Read Me?
5. –
6. Viktoria Park, Ingmar Bergmann
7. Curry 36
8. 3, Floris Dekker or Guido Schetters
9. –
10. Sir, Etsy
Final clue: Mondrian

Applicable bonus answers:
3. Galeries Lafayette Friedrichstr.
5. Photogrammetry

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