CSC490 / CSC2125: Government 2.0 Prof. Greg Wilson Fall 2009

In March 2009, the mayor of Toronto announced a new initiative to make the city's data accessible to its citizens so that they could analyze and use it however they saw best. Other governments around the world have similar plans, and many have already started implementation. This fall, graduate and undergraduate students in Computer Science at the University of Toronto will have the chance to show the world how they can use this data to make their city a better place to live.

When and were does the class meet?

In the Cumberland Room of the International Student Centre 3-5 pm Mondays starting Sept 14. The ISC is at 33 St. George Street, just north of the intersection with College Street. Here are a few of the things we have planned:

Sep 14	course structure	Greg Wilson
	introduction to Open Toronto	Keith McDonald, Dave Wallace
	Consulting 101	Sam Heath, Mark Kuznicki, Julia Smith, Jane Zhang
Sep 21	City Administration 101	Meg Shields
	picking a good problem	Roy Bryant, Daniel Debow, Sven Dickinson, Eugene Fiume
Sep 28	funding	John MacRitchie, Will Pate, Farhan Thawar
	ideas and partners
Oct 5	privacy	Rafael Eskenazi
	project brainstorming	all students
Oct 12	Thanksgiving
Oct 19	intellectual property	Rachael Mendicino
	Lan Nguyen	Director, Business Enablement and Client Services, City of Toronto
Oct 26
Nov 2	Innovations Showcase	City Hall
Nov 9
Nov 16
Nov 23
Nov 30
Dec 7	showcase
Dec 14	projects due

Who is eligible to enrol?

Graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Toronto. (If you are from another university, you are probably looking for information on the cross-Canada projects that Greg Wilson is also running this term.)

What sorts of things can students do?

Anything that uses their theoretical and practical understanding of computer science and is useful to the citizens of Toronto. Possibilities include, but are not limited to:

• set up and customize existing software like EveryBlock for Toronto;
• use machine learning techniques to find interesting patterns in the city's data (e.g., work backwards from water pollution data to locate old pipes that need replacing);
• build real-time visualizations of traffic congestion data and do user studies to see which are most comprehensible and useful;
• interview community organizations to figure out what they need most, then work backward to find city data that would help them.

Note that students don't necessarily have to write software for this course: some detailed requirements analysis and a design or prototype could be enough too.

What sorts of things can't students do?

Anything that requires access to confidential data or is subject to non-disclosure agreements is out of bounds. Students must also have actual users for their projects: "I think this would be neat" isn't enough.

What data is going to be available?

We're still working on that (the CUPE strike has knocked everything off schedule). We're also looking at using archival data and/or data from other sources ranging from Environment Canada to Twitter.

Is this part of an official university or government program?

No---it's just another great course at the University of Toronto. However, we are meeting regularly with city staff and volunteers from local businesses and non-profits.

Are students being paid for their work?

No, but they do earn a course credit.

What course do student enrol in?

Undergraduates enrol in CSC490 (Computer Science Capstone); graduate students, in CSC2125 (Topics in Software Engineering). Undergraduates must have a strong 'B' average to enrol.

What are the benefits to the students?

A chance to set their own goals; experience working in a team on a meaningful project; peer contacts (social/professional networking); something cool to demo in interviews.

How are projects managed and graded?

The course instructor will take care of week-by-week project management with help from several volunteers from industry and the non-profit sector. Grading schemes will be tailored to individual teams and projects.

How can we find out more?

Please contact Greg Wilson for more information.