Technology is becoming ever-present in our physical environments, including our parks. Video cameras film us as we enter a park, and sensors detect bicycle speeds. And wifi and environmental sensors abound. Often, we are subconsciously aware of these technologies but know very little about their actual purpose and use. For example, what kind of data are these cameras capturing? Can the data be used to personally identify people? Who exactly is receiving the data? What is the range of use cases for these technologies? If we don’t pause to look carefully for technology in our parks, they and the ways they influence our shared spaces would be invisible to us.
Join this timely panel dialogue to learn about park pilot projects using DTPR (Digital Trust for Places and Routines), an open-source communication standard that structures the information provided by technology providers and presents it to the public in a legible and consistent way, and how it can be used responsibly to both help park practitioners better understand park usage and needs AND foster public trust in digital systems.
Support for this session is provided by The Knight Foundation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Identify the different types of technology used in parks and the data they collect.
- Recognize the importance of responsible use of technology in parks and fostering public trust in digital systems.
- Identify the benefits and challenges of using digital systems in parks and how they can be leveraged to improve park usage and public safety.
- Discuss the presence of technology in public parks and how it affects our daily lives.
Speakers
Ryan Kurtzman
Technology Partnerships Officer, City of Long Beach Technology and Innovation Department
