What Happened?
A pro-development blog in New York City has generated support of new building projects from local residents and businesses to help spur municipal and economic growth. Many cities are working collaboratively with social media-savvy professionals to take advantage of digital media to increase awareness, disseminate information to a wide audience and engage citizens in community discussions or activities.
So What?
The New York Yimby website is a play off Nimby (Not in My Back Yard) movement with its own Yimby (Yes in My Back Yard) approach to development projects. The website features news and information regarding upcoming building projects throughout the city, featuring plans that the founder feels would be beneficial to the community and should have citizen support, The New York Times reports.
The website’s owner interviews developers and architects, takes pictures of worksites, uploads floor plans and hosts community discussions on the pros and cons of each proposed development. Architects, developers, construction workers and other experts in the industry contribute advice-style pieces to the site as well, helping boost its traffic to more than 75,000 visitors monthly.
New York Yimby has grown into a well established website with incredible breadth of content. The owner has been able to attract guest bloggers, expert interviews and advertisers to turn a profit and increase credibility. Having already caught the ear of the development community in New York City, New York Yimby has the opportunity to play a key role in upcoming projects that may be opposed by certain populations of residents.
Turning Social
Social media sites such as blogs, Twitter and other platforms help bring a voice to an individual, organization or cause at minimal cost. Local stories can be shared internationally through the social channels, helping many smaller projects gain traction, support and funding quickly and efficiently.
A recent panel at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank discussed the role of social media and development journalism in creating global discussions on sustainability and climate change. The event highlighted several media tools available to local governments and organizations looking to embark on sustainable development but are in need of funding or resources. The media tools included:
- The Stream: Al Jazeera hosts a daily TV Show that connects participants through online channels such as Google Hangouts to address public issues with a global audience. The goal of the project is to create a stage where individuals can be heard.
- The Third Pole Project: This project leverages citizen journalism to increase awareness of environmental issues in the Himalayas. Reporters cover climate change news in Asia then share information with and interview residents of remote Himalayan villages to get a local perspective on environmental issues.
- Local Impact Map: Microsoft created a tool to help journalists find local data and stories specific to development and sustainability. Journalists share stories through the interactive online map with organizations worldwide, which can then build off these ideas for their own local projects.
Focus on Growth
Gov1 has reported on social channels making a major impact in local communities through crime prevention and open discussions.