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As anybody who lives in a mid-sized American city knows, the only good reason to contact the mayor’s office is to complain about something. Now Pittsburgh, which usually only graces this site when one of its universities develops a robot or a weapon of some sort, has put its own high-tech spin on this with iBurgh. Described by city councilman Bill Peduto as “the first mobile application for city government,” the app lets iPhone owners snap a picture of their favorite eyesore or attractive nuisance, attach a quick note, and send the geotagged information to the city’s 311 operators. Not only is this good for potholes and gridlocked traffic, but it’s sure to be a hit among rioting college students the next time the Steelers win some sort of big game — and if you don’t know what we’re talking about, just punch +steelers +riot into Google. And then hit the read link to download for yourself.
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iBurgh complaint department for iPhone gets to the heart of city living
Last night’s Refresh Pittsburgh meeting featured the team that created this app (also YinzCam, if you’re interested). I was impressed by the simple elegance of iBurgh, by the genius of the idea. Moreover, one of the audience members reported that he’d used the app to report a pothole along his morning bike route - and that, a mere four days later, the pothole was filled.
What this cheeky engadget column fails to illuminate is how the combination of intelligent engineering and an engaged city government is creating a better quality of life for Pittsburghers like me.
