GovEx Data Points

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 7 - Applied Math and City Data in Baltimore - GovEx Data Points Jun 23, 2016

Show notes

“The problems and the data are alike in city work and astronomy,” according to this episode’s guest, Tamas Budavari, Assistant Professor of Applied Math and Statistics at Johns Hopkins University. Tamas is working to apply the same solutions he built to answer how the universe was formed to understand how housing becomes vacant and blighted in Baltimore* City. Connecting Baltimore to his previous research was a bit of serendipity, according to Tamas. His support for the Johns Hopkins 21st Century Cities Initiative fostered this collaboration. Since starting to work with Baltimore Tamas has gained a broader understanding of the questions the city wants answered by its data. As a response, he’s creating a centralized database from which the city “can easily ask questions and answers come back right away.” There are some snags, however, owing to a variety of formats and standards, and limited resources. Still, Tamas and his team are able to make connections to provide what he calls “common denominators” and move quickly to think about solutions for Baltimore. *As Baltimore locals having a conversation, we fell into a comfortable habit that might leave our listeners confused. When Tamas talks about the city, he mentions “Station North” which is a arts and entertainment district constructed in an underpopulated part of town and “MICA” which is shorthand for the much lauded Maryland Institute of Art. Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 6 - Visualize Data Like a Pro - GovEx Data Points Jun 16, 2016

Show notes

Data visualization is a hot topic. Everyone wants visualizations that are simple, fun, and easy to understand. But where should you start when visualizing your data? This week we talk to Jon Schwabish, a Senior Research Associate at the Urban Institute and data visualization guru, to discuss his thoughts on how to get in the data visualization game and how to do it right. Jon is working on a variety of projects related to data visualization, including his new book Better Presentations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks. In our conversation with Jon, we explore his recent work and a wide range of topics on data visualization from software and chart options to telling a coherent story with data. For more information, get in touch with GovEx or check out Jon’s website Policyviz. If you look hard enough you can also find GovEx staff Eric Reese and Rebecca Williams as recent guests on Jon’s podcast! Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 5 - Broadly Bantering About Broadband - GovEx Data Points Jun 06, 2016

Show notes

What is a Broadband Coordinator? Does a city need one? Why would a broadband coordinator need a broadband report card? We talk to Jason Hardebeck, Broadband Coordinator for the City of Baltimore about his post and his intentions to make it obsolete. Hardebeck is working with GovEx (via MetroLab) to develop a broadband report card, which will help determine how available broadband access is and should be in Baltimore. We dive into that effort and find out how it can scale to other cities. We also talk about Jason’s other efforts around Baltimore, such as his burgeoning makerspace, The Foundery. Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 4 - Taking Data to the Next Level in San Francisco - GovEx Data Points May 31, 2016

Show notes

The City of San Francisco is often thought of as a leader in technology and data-driven government. The city’s Chief Data Officer Joy Bonaguro joins us to discuss how that reputation became a reality and how data is making San Francisco a better city for all its residents. As the city’s (and county’s) first chief data officer, Joy has a unique perspective on integrating data in the daily life of government. Prior to joining the City, Joy worked from the birth of the open data and open government field, spending seven years designing and managing the development of information systems to support planning and decision-making at Greater New Orleans Community Data. She also worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to help develop technology, cyber and privacy policy working closely with both the National Lab CIO Council and the Department of Energy Information Management Advisory Group. In our discussion, Joy touches on a variety of topics including, overcoming the challenges she faced in changing government culture, building a strong data network and inventory, and making data easy to use. To find out more about San Francisco’s use of data, check out datasf.org or get in touch with GovEx Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 3 - Making Cities Smarter - GovEx Data Points May 18, 2016

Show notes

Shireen Santosham, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of San Jose, California, joins us to discuss all things data and innovation in San Jose. San Jose is a city of just over 1 million people in the Bay Area. You might know it because of its tech reputation and its location right in the heart of Silicon Valley, but our focus through our conversation with Shireen is on what the city itself is doing to work better for residents using data. As Chief Innovation Officer, Shireen leads leads efforts to build the Smart City Vision and strategy for Mayor Sam Liccardo and the city as a whole. Using her past experience on innovation projects across sectors, Shireen works on partnerships and programs that help advance the city’s goals, including becoming a safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive city. San Jose also works with GovEx on open data through the What Works Cities Initiative, making it clear the city is committed to exploring a variety of strategies to use data to improve outcomes for residents. Our discussion with Shireen touches on everything from using data to support diversity and inclusion to tech workers and private partnerships in San Jose. To find out more about San Jose’s use of data, check out their Smart City Vision or get in touch with GovEx Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. * Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points * Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 2 - The Ferguson Effect in Baltimore - GovEx Data Points May 18, 2016

Show notes

Two Johns Hopkins University (JHU) researchers join us to take a deep dive into a discussion of policing and data in Baltimore. Since GovEx is a research center based in Baltimore and at JHU, we have a unique interest in partnering with our colleagues and exploring how data can be used in our home city. In this episode, I talk with Professor Stephen L. Morgan and researcher Joel Pally of the sociology department at JHU, who recently published their research report titled “The Ferguson Effect.” Steve and Joel’s goal was to determine whether increased scrutiny on police actions around the country following the events in Ferguson affected police behavior in Baltimore. Their research focused on analyzing open arrest and crime data from the City of Baltimore following the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, MO (check out the JHU Hub for a great overview of Steve and Joel’s research). Their research is especially relevant, as approximately 8 months later Baltimore had its own high profile police incident involving the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in Baltimore. Our discussion with Steve and Joel focuses on their research process, the data they used and how they worked with it, and whether their research is something that can be easily replicated in cities across the US. To find out more about Steve and Joel’s research, read their full report and check out their data and methodology. Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. * Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points * Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 1 - Flint's Water and Lead Poisoning - GovEx Data Points May 18, 2016

Show notes

GovEx Director of Performance and Analytics Carter Hewgley joins us to discuss the important issue of lead poisoning across the country. His experience at FEMA and at the District of Columbia government gives him a great perspective on what can be done at both the national and local level to combat this issue. Check out his blog post on lead to get more information on strategies that governments can use in the short and long term to address lead poisoning. Overall, the key issue is that lead poisons people and there is no safe level of lead. 70% of homes in the US were constructed when one or more unsafe lead practices were legal. This means residents, cities, counties, states, and the federal government must continue to pay attention to this issue. Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch You can find updates to the podcast in several ways. * Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points * Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/podcast Get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

Ep. 0 - Introduction to Data Points - GovEx Data Points May 12, 2016

Show notes

Welcome to GovEx Data Points, a podcast focusing on all things data and government! This is our first ever episode, so thanks for listening. In this episode, we’ll walk through some background information on GovEx and provide an introduction to what we plan to cover in future episodes. The podcast is brought to you by the team at the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, or GovEx for short. We’re a team of data fanatics focusing on helping government use data more effectively. We work with hand-in-hand with governments around the world on open data and performance analytics projects designed to improve outcomes for residents. We also provide training and resources for governments to help improve their data use. Each week we’ll examine a particular example of data use in government. We’ll explore examples from our own work at GovEx, the research of Johns Hopkins professors, and innovative practitioners from around the world. Sometimes we’ll focus on success stories and other times on challenges, but in all cases, the bottom line will be to learn how better use of data and evidence can help governments improve decision-making and ultimately, outcomes for people. Like Data? Listen and Get in Touch We’ll be aiming to produce one podcast each week and you can find it in several ways. * Look for us on iTunes as GovEx Data Points * Find up-to-date episodes on our website at http://govex.jhu.edu/resource-type/podcast/ As we continue with future episodes, we of course want to make sure that we’re meeting our listeners needs. So get in touch with us and let us know what you want to hear, suggest potential episodes, and give us feedback on how the podcast is going. You can contact us on Twitter at Gov_Ex or reach out via our website at govex.jhu.edu/contact.

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