Abstract

In the early 2010s, citizens started banding together and doing something new. They received data from local governments and created new digital interfaces (websites and apps) for their fellow citizens to access that data. The general goal is to make this information more accessible—to move information from difficult-to-find locations or difficult formats and to make it easier for people to find, access, and understand. This chapter explains how this phenomenon known as civic hacking became possible, how it can be fostered, and what it might mean for the future of public administration.