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PAPER MAP A paper map is a trustworthy tool when going to areas previously unknown. The paper map interface is in some ways better than in technical devices: there is no battery to run out, and no reflecting screen On the other hand, a paper map has to be dug out from the bottom of the bag and unfolded. Also, what happens to the map if it rains?
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COMPUTER A desktop and/or a laptop computer are found in every home, and they still are the most common tools for searching and using information online.
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PHONE Not everyone owns a smartphone, or even wants one! Text messages and phone calls can be sufficient as means to contact people.
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MOBILE DEVICES Mobile devices enable real time interaction with urban information in urban space. Many people in Helsinki are using smartphones constantly. The smartphone battery life is a problem, as it often does not last the whole day, even if it is charged every night. Various operating systems cause issues: independent app developers are not able to produce several different applications to be compatible with every single operating system.
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TRADITIONAL MEDIA; TV, MAGAZINES, RADIO Despite digitalization, traditional media is still an important part of citizens everyday life, and also an important information channel. Good tips and information can be found from the Helsingin Energia energy company s Helen magazine, for example. The daily morning TV show (Aamu- TV) is the day s first source of information for many citizens.
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APPLICATION- PROGRAMMING INTERFACE, API An open application-programming interface enables interaction between systems. The City of Helsinki has opened the Open Ahjo API, which permits access to the decision-making material of the city. However, many other actors public or commercial have not yet opened application-programming interfaces into their own systems. A list of currently available open APIs can be found for example via the Apps4Finland website.
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WHAT
OUTSIDE CONDITIONS Information about weather conditions is important to the citizens. It has an impact on e.g. clothing and timing. Information on wind conditions would be useful for cyclists, because headwind affects the travel time (unlike traffic jams), but at the moment it is not available in a useful manner. Information regarding outside air quality interests many, but currently it is not local enough.
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RESEARCH AND STATISTICS There is a need for research facts to be used as reference material in online discussions. Without solid references, knowledge can be seen as a mere opinion. This is often witnessed nowadays in online discussions.
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IN PUBLIC TRANSIT Little urban information is available for citizens, except for weather forecasts on screens in the metro and trams. More information should be made visible as public transportation vehicles as well as stops are a good place to distribute information.
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AT BUS STOPS Waiting spots, like bus stops, are good places to distribute information. At the moment there are only advertisements, but could there be something else too?
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AT HOME Many citizens check for routes, timetables, weather conditions, locations etc. at home on a computer. Not everyone owns, or wants to own, a smartphone to search for information while on the go.
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ON JOGGING TRACKS Some wish to access information even when jogging, for example, how can jogging tracks be used and by whom?
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ON THE GO People search for the same kind of information at home as on the go: route information, timetables, opening hours, locations, and accessibility information How is the information accessed while on the go? With a mobile device or with some other user interface?
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IN BED Many people still check their mobile phone or ipad in bed before going to sleep. Would that be a good moment to access urban information?
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HSL JOURNEY PLANNER Helsinki Region Transport s route information service is in active use for many in Helsinki. It enables to search for routes and timetables, and it also serves as a map. The cycling and walking Journey Planner is used when there is a need to find out what is the straightest or fastest route. Many active cyclists do not find the information about cycle lanes or elevation important, but they are only looking for a fast route.
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SERVICE PHONE NUMBER IN PUBLIC SPACE Taking care of issues straight away can be a means for relieving stressful situations. Having access to a service number is a good for handling such issues as informing the organization in charge when a bus driver has broken the traffic rules.
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SÄVEL+, INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY USAGE Many know Helen s (Helsinki s energy company) Sävel+ service for monitoring one s own energy consumption, but only a few are using it. Active citizens usually know how to reduce their energy usage, while those in need of that kind of information do not necessarily use the service. The Sävel+ usability is being criticized. The energy information should be as accessible, and easy to understand, as possible.
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MAP SERVICES Google Maps, HSL Route Finder, kartta.hel.fi, Open Street Map Where am I? What is the straightest or shortest route? Where are public buildings situated? The most used map service is Google Maps, although the company s commitment to personal privacy might be questionable: do I want Google to know everything? Kartta.hel.fi s usability is criticized. Technically oriented persons often favor Open Street Map.
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INFORMATION IN URBAN SPACE; SCREENS, VISUALIZATIONS Green cloud was a community art project by Dodo ry, Helen and Pixelache. The citizens actions had a real time impact on the artwork: the size of the green cloud changed according to their energy consumption. Information is also available on digital screens in urban space, sometimes as advertisements.
TO WHERE FROM WHERE www.dodo.org www.yle.fi www.hel.fi www.tilastokeskus.fi www.hepo.fi ilmatieteenlaitos.fi www.hs.fi restaurants shops...
WEBSITES Citizens use various websites to access many kind of information, for example research data, statistics, weather forecasts, news There is a great need for so called hard data to be used as reference when discussing. One s knowledge can be considered as mere opinion if there are no solid references to back it up. This is also witnessed in online discussions and information sharing.
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SOCIAL MEDIA; FACEBOOK Social media, especially Facebook, is an important communication and marketing channel that can be used to reach a large amount of people. Facebook is used to share information, like articles, research papers, practical knowledge etc., but it is not a good tool for archiving information. Information is being shared especially in groups dedicated to different topics. A new interesting channel to share information is the image-sharing site Pinterest.
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INTERACTION BETWEEN PEOPLE Social interaction most often happens in real life, for example through discussions, reading circles, tips and other peerto-peer information sharing. However, the knowledge generated or shared often stays only inside the group.
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MOBILE APPLICATIONS Mobile applications can be about maps, air quality, transport, social media Applications are easy to download, especially the ones that are free. Information about new applications should rather be shared via social media, than by browsing through App-Store lists. Are there already too many applications around, when all services have their own apps and smart phones are already full of applications?
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HSL POIKKEUSINFO HSL (Helsinki Region Transport) is sharing information on traffic exceptions in real time. Poikkeusinfo is linked to the Journey Planner and Omat lähdöt timetable service. Poikkeusinfo also works in mobile. Information on traffic exceptions is also being shared on the screens located on public transit stops.
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E-MAIL E-mail is still an important channel to reach people and share information. Will social media take over e-mail at some point?
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CITIZEN KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE-BASED KNOWLEDGE Citizens can have professional level knowledge of different issues, even when they are not actual professionals in the field. Also citizens own experiences serve as a good source of information, for example, knowledge about routes, accessibility information, calmness of spaces and places Is citizen s own knowledge too often left unused, or shared only via social media with like-minded people? Could it be better distributed, and even reach organizations and official actors that might benefit from it?
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FEEDBACK CHANNEL FOR CITIZENS There are currently several feedback channels for citizens to reach city officials in Helsinki. Pitäiskö fiksata ( Should it be fixed ) and Korjaa kaupunki ( Fix the city ) are two map-based services opened in autumn 2013, where citizens can submit their observations regarding the maintenance of urban space.
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WHOSE INFORMATION?
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ACCESSIBILITY OF URBAN INFORMATION There is a lot of urban information currently available, but how to bring it closer to citizens everyday life? For example: New types of product packaging could provide information regarding the kind of energy that was used in production and how big the carbon and/or water footprint is. This would help consumers to make choices between products, and also complement the current packaging information.
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URBAN INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCING THE CITY SPACE What kind of information helps to enjoy, act, and survive in a city? For example: Stress-free routes, city routes that are gentle for the senses, can be generated by combining diverse information and information sources.
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LOCAL URBAN INFORMATION Citizens often only spend their time in certain areas of the city. What kind of information would really be useful for them? For example: Signs about the history of places and buildings could tell who lived there before, how life was then, and so on. This would help in maintaining a sense of belonging, respect and responsibility towards the public space.
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VISUALIZING INFORMATION How to present urban information to citizens? For example: Information about the efficient use of urban space, if well visualized, give a quick understanding of what are the best solutions. 50 cars vs. one tram: which option uses more space and which transports more people? How this could be best shown to citizens?
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LOCAL URBAN INFORMATION Citizens often only spend their time in certain areas of the city. What kind of information would really be useful for them? For example: Neighborhood-level information would be useful, such as the breakfast offers of nearby cafés, events happening close by, general information about what is going on in the neighborhood, as well as information on outside air quality.
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URBAN INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCING THE CITY SPACE What kind of information helps to enjoy, act, and survive in a city? For example: Accessibility information. Which places are accessible with a baby carriage, or a wheelchair? Who should provide accessibility information, cities or disability organizations?
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COMBINING INFORMATION Combining information sources is important because citizens require customized collections of information. For example: Combining information about bus routes with information about events. Buses are often full of prams if there happens to be an event for children, making it difficult to fit in. If HSL had the information about upcoming events, they could choose their vehicles according to the need, or even drive extra rounds.
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ACCESSIBILITY OF URBAN INFORMATION There is a lot of urban information currently available, but how to bring it closer to citizens everyday life? For example: Information on wind conditions would greatly help cyclists because headwind affects cycling time. However, in its current forms, such information is not easily accessible or usable for such purpose.
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COMBINING INFORMATION Combining information sources is important because citizens require customized collections of information. For example: A map-based mobile application could include a variety of local data to choose from, such as nearby child care rooms, dog parks, playgrounds etc.
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CITIZEN KNOWLEDGE How to take citizen s knowledge into use? For example: In the Wikikaupunki (wiki city) concept, which was an entry for Apps4Finland, anyone can update the city website in real time, like a wiki. Currently official city websites are managed by special administrators. Requests for updates thus take considerable time to materialise. Cities could also automatically receive relevant informations from citizens via a dedicated service or by linking existing systems via APIs.
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ACCESSIBILITY OF URBAN INFORMATION There is a lot of urban information currently available, but how to bring it closer to citizens everyday life? For example: Information is rarely understandable in its original form. It needs to be processed and made relevant. Libraries could act as general providers of different types of information, but could also put more effort in processing it. The Finnish Science Centre Heureka is also a good information provider and processor.
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