Code For America, Connecting City Governments & Web 2.0 Talent

It is our patriotic duty to code and design, or so says a peace corps like program “Code for America”, which helps connect city governments and Web 2.0 talent. What if city hall was a startup? An interesting experiment to say the least.

Cities are under greater pressure than ever, struggling with budget cuts and outdated technology. What if, instead of cutting services or raising taxes, cities could leverage the power of the web to become more efficient, transparent, and participatory? What if, the professional talent in the tech industry went to work innovating the public sector? What if City Hall looked more like a start up?

The five cities selected to host physical Code For America programs in 2011 are Seattle, Boulder, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston. To help with this program, they are looking for geeks to apply for their 2011 Fellowship. Fellows in the program receive healthcare, living wages and travel expenses for the 11 month program.

If you’re a developer, designer, or product manager with a desire for public service, this is your opportunity to build the next generation of Gov 2.0 apps for city governments. By leveraging your unique skill set, you will bring improved access to information and government accountability to the local level, and you will change the way citizens and cities work together.

In honor of the 4th of July, CFA created a series of eight ‘binary art’ posters with patriotic quotes from Government 1.0 heros, like James Madison (System Architect) and John F. Kennedy (UI Designer).