Guest Post by Alexis Zanghi

A quick glance at New Haven's hottest topics on SeeClickFix reveals that many of our users are
concerned with the walkability of New Haven's streets. From Orange and Bishop (where some worry
about their safety crossing the street), to Woodward Avenue (where there are no sidewalks), the
message is clear: citizens want a pedestrian-friendly city.

According to a recent post on the NRDC's Smarter Cities blog New Haven has the highest percentage of people who walk to work in New England, and the second highest percentage of people who use non motorized transportation. But the walkability of any city matters for many reasons. In 2009, CEOs for Cities released a report entitled “Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U.S. Cities.” Among their findings? Property values increased with proximity to shops, restaurants, cafes, schools, libraries, and other amenities.

And in 2010, the University of New Hampshire expanded on this. Walkability doesn't just
increase physical capital like property values – it increases social capital, too. Social capital is essentially a measure of community. Your friend, your neighbor, the guy who pours your coffee: they're all social capital.
They're all part of your daily network, and they each do their part to enrich your daily life. They make you feel less isolated, they tell you about a job opening, and they'll watch your laptop while you're in the bathroom. And you'd do the same for them. Together, you're building social capital.

Social capital increases with walkability. You're more likely to bump into your neighbor at the store if it's right around the corner. You're more likely to stop at the same coffeeshop if it's on your walk to work. These daily interactions strengthen and build on social capital, and they're more likely to occur if citizens are pedestrians.

But proximity isn't the only factor here. Safety – and keeping our public resources in good repair – matters, too. That's where SeeClickFix comes in. By engaging and empowering citizens to report things like a broken streetlight on Congress Avenue, or cracked sidewalks on Edgewood Avenue, SeeClickFix doesn't just build social capital online – it keeps it growing offline, too!

Can Graffiti and a Busy Signal From City Hall Lead to Entrepreneurial Opportunity?  It Did For Ben Berkowitz…..

3/3/11

Richmond, VA, SeeClickFix's 6th most responsive Government to its citizens got some attention and accolades from local news outlet and SeeClickFix media partner Richmond Times Dispatch

Chris Young, Journalist for the Dispatch, dove into the number of reports and average response time from the City of Richmond concluding that the City has an average response time of 11 days from opening of issue on SCF to close. Senior Assistant to the CAO in Richmond was quoted in the article: "Citizens deserve to know their government is working as efficiently as it can,"  


We're excited that Richmond continues to hold their own feet to the fire while actively engaging citizens in participating in the improvement of their city. If Richmond keeps it up maybe they'll soon be beating the current title holder, Plano Texas for ultimate SCF City.

(Guest Post by Emma Richards)

If you’ve ever dreamed of making the 6 o’clock news, your chance might be a click
away. SeeClickFix has hundreds of partnerships with local media outlets nationwide –
meaning the issues you report to us can become the topic of a news story, investigation or
more. This latest story is just one example of how when our partners put your community
in the limelight, problems are solved.

SeeClickFix, together with WBTV in Charlotte, NC, has helped drivers along route I-
77N see things much more clearly after a concerned viewer reported a blindingly obvious
problem. Drivers were driven to distraction each night by an electronic billboard off exit
23 in Huntersville that was displaying advertisements with dangerous intensity. Imagine
the Seinfeld episode featuring Jerry and Kramer’s plight against Kenny Rogers Roasters
and their neon chicken sign, and you can begin to understand how damaging bright lights
can be.

Raleigh City Councilor Bonner Gaylord was named by the N.C. Center for Voter Education as "Outstanding Public Servant" as part of the 2011 Spectrum of Democracy Awards.
Councilor Gaylord represents District E, where he has been a lifelong resident. He is on the forefront of utilizing technology to connect citizens with their government, implementing the "SeeClickFix" program, an online application that allows community members to alert city officials and neighbors to areas in need of improvement -- from potholes to unsafe intersections.