OpenSpaces

Votes: 7
Views: 2253

Explore the local community and discover hidden gems through OpenSpaces, an application that displays public resources and community events. Using the Google Maps API, OpenSpaces gives people the ability to locate nearby parks, libraries, and hospitals, and check out nearby events. Traversing a new place is significantly easier and more accessible with OpenSpaces providing a versatile guide to promptly display much-needed public amenities while out and about.

The OpenSpaces platform is minimalistic, quick, and easy to use: users decide which public resources and events to display, and the associated icons are shown on the map for a user-selected radius, with a default radius of five miles. Clicking on a specific icon brings up the name, or title, and a tag, limited to 75 characters, with helpful information about operating hours, specific amenities, etc. A user can then get directions to the icon from their current location.

Residents of a city have the ability to customize their neighborhood, adding special features, and events to their community. Special features include water fountains, public restrooms, and skate parks. Events are categorized into 6 main categories: civic participation, classes/workshops, music/art, family friendly events, and other. Residents can also verify or flag both places and events.

The ultimate purpose of OpenSpaces is to provide an easy and quick guide to local and free events, allowing people to develop and participate in the community in and around where they live. It has the potential to encourage and increase civic participation by notifying residents about town meetings, elections, and other ways to engage in and improve the local community. Simply by knowing when and where key events occur, citizens are significantly more likely to participate.

OpenSpaces will create more accessible, navigable cities and towns by both neighborhood residents and tourists alike, promoting the use of public spaces, and fostering an increased sense of community.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Jennifer Fox
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Jennifer is inspired by:
    Using engineering for good -- generating simple solutions to everyday problems and encouraging creativity, exploration, and play.
  • Software used for this entry:
    MapPoint, Android Studio
  • Patent status:
    none