Over 100 leaders in the field of urban information attended the second Urban Markets Initiative Forum, entitled “Connecting Communities: Using Information to Drive Change.” The conference sessions focused on creating a framework for community change, innovative uses of data, and next steps in building a “National Infrastructure for Community Statistics.”
Anthony Williams, co-author of Wikinomics, delivered the opening keynote address for the event. His remarks focused on the unique opportunity to innovatively use technology, and emerging mass collaboration functions, to accelerate community improvement. Numerous forum breakout sessions highlighted the many ways in which information connects and drives change in communities, including a discussion of new technologies connecting federal government to state and local government data, new analytical tools to better understand neighborhood dynamics, and new tools to better understand urban retail markets. Closing keynote speaker Eugene “Gus” Newport urged participants to remember the ultimate end goal of all our activity, creating healthy urban communities.
View the full agenda with presentations.