Mapping New Yorkers' 311 complaints is not a new concept, but a Microsoft-backed initiative is putting a new spin on the interactive idea, visualizing pest problems and potholes with playful cartoons accompanied by a blurb about how the issue makes the neighborhood feel. Called HereHere NYC, the digital resource culls information from NYC's open 311 data, breaking it down by neighborhood and types of complaints. Then, according to the website, they "process the data through the Sentient Data Server. SDS equips each neighborhood with a personality (like a character in a movie or videogame) and [they] calculate the character's response to the latest data based on pace, position and trend. For example, a neighborhood might be delighted if after several days of more than 30 heating complaints, heating complaints drops down to 0; or a neighborhood might be ashamed to see a sudden rise in homeless person assistance requests." Thus, the daily feeling of a neighborhood.
So how's Williamsburg today? "Uncomfortable,: ::Squirms:: It's been a while since this has come up, a few air quality complaints and a few concerns about smoke. More than I've seen of this in a while, a few animal abuse complaints." Murray Hill, on the other hand, is quite content: "::Smiles:: Haven't seen this in awhile, a few house of worship noise issues. At least it's better than it has been - no concerns about mold and concerns about dirty conditions."
The point of this whole thing, according to project leader Kati London, is to change the way people keep tabs on what's going on in their neighborhoods. We're trying to create a new daily habit around the pulse of the city," London told the Daily News.
In addition to the summarized daily concerns, HereHere shows what a neighborhood complained about the most a year ago, and the Daily Neighborhood Leaderboard shows how each neighborhood compares. The Upper East Side was named the day's "Friendliest Commuter" since they had the most calls about public transportation, while Fordham was deem "Most Artistic" because it had the most complaints about graffiti. Greenwich Village, meanwhile is feeling rather saucy; it had the most "adult" and after hours complaints, nabbing the title of "Wildest Party Animal."
· HereHere.co [official]
· Website turns 311 complaints into cartoon map of neighborhoods [NYDN]
· A Colorful Kaleidoscope of New Yorkers' Complaints [Curbed]