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July 24th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Government, Technology, The Web

Data.Honolulu.Gov

“We’ve finally got our new data portal up and running,” announced Forest Frizzell, Deputy Director of Information Technology for the City and County of Honolulu, in a Facebook post today. “Our data sets now have API’s wrapped around them so developers have more capability to work with City data.”

He said the new Data.Honolulu.gov site takes the city’s transparency efforts “to the next level,” expanding upon the “CAN-DO” portal it unveiled last March.

There are over 50 datasets available at launch, including city budget and spending data, and basic information on neighborhood boards and land zoning. some of the data formed the basis of the the three new city apps announced earlier this month, developed by  Code for America Honolulu fellow Mick Thompson.

Many of the datasets are static lists, such as the locations of lifeguard towers, tsunami sirens, parking lots, recycling centers and refuse yards. And while “Honolulu 311 Reports” are also on the list, it is currently just a snapshot of the data collected through the “Honolulu 311” app from CitySourced.

Obviously, having access to a live or realtime feed of “Honolulu 311″ reports would be much more compelling, and Frizzell says that’s coming soon. I’ve also been encouraging (or, perhaps, nagging) him to work on opening up access to Honolulu Police Department datasets like crime reports (available to CrimeMapping but not to the public) and traffic incidents (now posted to a relentlessly scraped web page). These too, he has said, are in the works.

Data.Honolulu.gov is powered by the Socrata open government platform, which was also selected by the State of Hawaii for its open data portal slated to launch at Data.Hawaii.gov. As part of Hawaii Open Data, my partners Burt Lum, Jared Kuroiwa and I are working with Socrata, the city and the state to move these and other initiatives forward.

Want to learn more? Tomorrow night, the monthly Wetware Wednesday mixer for developers and system engineers will highlight the local open data movement, with presentations by Frizzell and Hawaii State CIO Sonny Bhagowalia. And on Saturday, a ‘Write-a-Thon’ is being held to help build another Code for America resource: Honolulu Answers.

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July 13th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Media, Technology, The Web, Video

When my friend and fellow geek Burt Lum suggested we start a local chapter of Hacks/Hackers, I was initially skeptical. Frankly, both of us have an unhealthy tendency to jump into the latest cool tool or group, and we’d just had a Sunlight Foundation meetup. But when I finally looked into it, I was immediately on board.

First, “Hacks/Hackers” shared a lot of complementary goals with groups I supported and blog about (including the Sunlight Foundation, CityCamp, and the Online News Association). More importantly, its focus overlapped quite a bit with the things we’re working on as Hawaii Open Data.

But more importantly, the two main pillars of Hacks/Hackers was journalism and programming, two things I love and at least aspire to do well. It was a perfect fit. The Hacks/Hackers “About” page says it all:

Hacks/Hackers is a rapidly expanding international grassroots journalism organization with dozens of chapters and thousands of members across four continents. Our mission is to create a network of journalists (“hacks”) and technologists (“hackers”) who rethink the future of news and information. Our mission is to spread knowledge. information and ideas. Local chapter activities currently include talks, hackathons and demo days.

The online headquarters of Hacks/Hackers Hawaii is a group on Meetup.com. With almost no promotion, we were heartened to see more than 50 people sign up. And we were impressed to discover that we weren’t familiar with many of the names. The best meetups, after all, are the ones where you discover totally new local contacts and communities.

Burt lined up some great presenters around the theme of open data and Government 2.0 (including Ben Trevino, Jared Kuroiwa, and Misa Maruyama), and there were more than a few “oohs” and “aahs.” It was a great first gathering under the Hacks/Hackers banner, and there’ll undoubtedly be more. Until then, to get a feel for the evening, check out the video above. We used the occasion as an opportunity to add another episode to our “Techspotting” series of reports.

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July 9th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Social Media, Technology, The Web

TwitterWhen I first signed up for Twitter in November 2006, it was even harder to explain than it is today. Twitter was born as a group SMS messaging service (a side project of a now defunct podcasting company), evolved into a “microblogging” platform, and eventually grew into a social network and a major player in the technology space.

Although I’m disappointed to see that Twitter is now shifting its focus from being an open platform to just being another publishing company, it remains my favorite service. And there’s no question that Twitter has transformed many aspects of online life, including personal publishing, commercial marketing, and newsgathering.

But one of the greatest tragedies of Twitter’s massive success that its database of content is simply too large to search in its entirety. With over 300 million messages posted each day, it’s no surprise that you can’t go very far back into its archives. I’ve posted over 35,000 messages to Twitter (which isn’t all that much spread out over more than five years), and  I hadn’t thought to archive my own posts until it was far, far too late to capture those exciting early days.

Enter Kellan Elliott-McCrea, now Chief Technology Officer at Etsy. He somehow managed to obtain the first messages ever posted to Twitter, and has posted them online as a searchable archive. Now anyone can sift through a year’s worth of status updates, beginning from Biz Stone’s “just setting up my twttr,” to read just what sorts of things people shared back then (which were not very different from what’s shared today).

It’s interesting to read how people described Twitter to new and other users, what things they expected it to do, and what they felt was the “right way” to use it. Kellan’s archive has allowed people to document the evolution of the ‘@’ symbol as a conversational marker into an almost universal form of identity.

But it’s also interesting to read through my own first Twitter posts, starting on November 20, 2006:

Though somewhat narcissistic, five years stretches far enough back that I feel there’s at least some historical value to read through one-line recaps of my day. For example, my daughter turned nine (she’s now 14) on the same day I left my bank job:

Here’s my first “LOST” stalking tweet:

Here’s my first gas price tweet:

And here’s the moment I finally fell out of love with Palm’s Treo smartphones with the announcement of the first Apple iPhone:

If you were an early Twitter user, check it out. And even if you weren’t, the archive provides a unique opportunity to see what Twitter was like well before most people had any idea what it was for.

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July 1st, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Government, Technology

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle has directed all city department and agency heads to support its open data initatives. In his June 18 memo, he wrote: “By freely sharing data amongst the citizens of the City & County of Honolulu, we hope to develop opportunities for economic development, civic engagement, and create a more informed citizen.”

And now, Honolulu’s engagement with the national “Code For America” program has now brought three new web apps for citizens, coded by Code for America 2012 fellow Mick Thompson and based on data made public by the city. Here’s a quick look:

RouteView


http://routeview.honolulu.gov/
Gives drivers the opportunity to avoid traffic jams by showing images of real traffic conditions along their route. The mashup combines Google Maps with the city’s traffic camera network.

Adopt-A-Siren

Honolulu City App: Adopt-A-Siren
http://sirens.honolulu.gov/
Allows users to adopt a tsunami siren in their neighborhood. Residents can sign up to take responsibility for individual sirens and to report any malfunctions (false alarms or failure to sound). The application also allows users to name their siren and receive an email notification alerting them when the siren will be tested. This app was based on code from Boston’s “Adopt-A-Hydrant” program, where citizens volunteer to shovel out fire hydrants after heavy snow covers them.

MOCA Public Art Finder

Honolulu City App: Public Art Finder
http://art.honolulu.gov/
Gives users the location of public art on display at City sites. This app is optimized to be viewed on mobile web browsers, and uses the GPS locations reported by smartphones or location-aware web browsers.

These utilities join the growing library of smartphone and web apps listed on the transparency portal the city launched last year. The “CityCamp Honolulu Hackathon” in January had already sparked the creation of several other city data apps.

 

 

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June 28th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Technology

The Sea-Based X-Band radar ship, the SBX-1, dominates the horizon when it’s in port in Pearl Harbor, making headlines just by showing up.

Part of the U.S. Department of Defense Ballistic Missile Defense System, it’s 280 feet tall, 380 feet long, with a displacement of 50,000 tons. Two out of three dimensions are comparable to an Enterprise-class aircraft carrier, and each of the massive pontoons upon which it sits are each the size of a Los Angeles-class submarine.

Inside the dome, often dubbed the “giant golf ball” (my wife and kids call it, jokingly, the “egg of doom”), there’s a radar array that can turn and pivot as it tracks missiles. That array alone weighs four million pounds.

As it has a fuel capacity of 1.8 million gallons, our guide, Lt. Col. Steve Braddom confirmed that they watch oil prices very closely. Braddom, who is with the army, said that the SBX is a multi-agency vessel, operated by a mix of military, maritime, and civillian crew members. The radar system was built and managed by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

There was a lot of debate over what location the SBX would call home, although Adak, Alaska was gearing up to be its home port. But when the floating radar platform wasn’t at sea, it spent most of its time in Hawaii. And while the Missile Defense Agency said last year that it would be a “nomadic” vessel, it essentially became at least a part-time Honolulu resident.

Since then, the SBX has recently seen significant budget cuts, putting it into a “limited test support” status. But it will be maintained so as to be able to return to active, operational status when needed. It was deployed in April as North Korea tried and failed to launch a long-range rocket.

Curious as I was when the Sea Launch Ocean Odyssey platform came through Hawaii, the SBX is a much more intriguing and looming presence. I’ve always wanted to get a closer look… and thanks to the Public Affairs Office of Navy Region Hawaii, the hospitality of the Missile Defense Agency and the SBX crew, and the persistence of my frequent partner in crime Burt Lum, a few local geeks got to get an up-close and inside look yesterday.

Check out the video I posted to YouTube above, or browse through some photos I posted to Flickr below:

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June 20th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · People, The Web, Video

Globetrotting dancer Matt Harding has, at long last, posted his latest “Where the Hell is Matt?” video. And among the many clips making up the montage, we see him attempting a fire dance in Kihei on Maui. The two-second scene appears along with other dances in places ranging from Texas to Thailand to Pyongyang, North Korea.

In “Where the Hell is Matt 2012,” he against showcases his defiantly bad dancing skills in several locations around the world. Like his original video in 2005, and the follow-up entries from 2006 and 2008, he dances alongside locals numbering from a few to a hundred. This time, in addition to teaching a new dance routine, he also tries his hands at some of the dances from the places he visited.

The new video went up on June 20, the same day the 2006 and 2008 editions were posted, but Matt notes that it was “officially ridiculous” that the release was so late. Originally scheduled to come out last October, and then on May 1, delays with editing and music composition were compounded by life as a stay-at-home dad.

The closing clip was shot in Matt’s backyard in Seattle, Washington, wrapping two years, four months, and twelve days of traveling and dancing. But while 71 locations were crammed into the video, many more visits didn’t make the final cut. Matt promises a separate “outtakes” video to showcase the remaining places and people he danced with.

Among the engagements that didn’t make the 2012 edition was his visit to Waimea Bay here on Oahu last January. I was among the many fans who turned up that day to dance with Matt. In case you missed it, here’s my video from that fun day, and you can see just a taste of what goes into just one of the two-second ingredients that make up the “Where the Hell is Matt?” recipe.

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June 19th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Hawaii, Miscellaneous, Technology, The Web

Google at Hanauma Bay

Google today added over 200 popular Hawaii visitor attractions, historical sites, resorts, parks, schools, and golf courses to its Google Street View collection. And the expansion takes Google’s 360-degree imagery of the Aloha State beyond the open road. The announcement was made at a special media event at Hanauma Bay this morning (more photos here).

Google Trike at KCCJust about a year ago, I wrote about how the Google team was in Hawaii, turning heads at it deployed the Google Trike, a specially outfitted three­wheel pedicab, to collect island imagery in places a car or van couldn’t go.

At the time, the focus was on Hawaii’s college campuses, as the Google Trike had turned up at Kapiolani Community College. University of Hawaii CIO David Lassner told me that Google would be collecting imagery at all of its Oahu campuses, and hopefully a few on the neighbor islands.

But schools were just the tip of the iceberg. As expected, you can now take a walking tour of the KCC campus. But Google’s announcement covered a whole lot more.

While Google did expand its already extensive Google Street View coverage on all the main Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and the Big Island), the company today highlighted the many local partners — public and private — that allowed them to visit and create virtual tours.

So starting today, you can now zoom all the way in on Google Maps and use Google Street View to explore the Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, ‘Iolani Palace, Hanauma Bay and Kualoa Ranch, among other locations. (Imagery for the zoo and Wet N’ Wild water park actually went live a few weeks ago.) National parks like the U.S.S. Arizona and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island are also included, as are popular attractions like the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Old Lahaina Luau on Maui.

But the special collections don’t just target Hawaii visitors. In addition to the aforementioned college campuses (on Oahu and the Big Island), you can get an immersive, up close look at dozens of neighborhood and beach parks. Four parks in my neighborhood of Mililani alone are represented, and you can check out Ka’ena Point, Waimanalo Beach Park, Liliuokalani Botanical Garden in Hilo, or Lydgate Park on Kauai.

For map nerds and Google fans in Hawaii, this is a huge update… and one that makes Apple’s ongoing shift to its own mapping solution a little less exciting.

Here are photos from today’s event:

And here is the list of new Google Maps locations in Hawaii below. It’s a long list, and I can’t wait to start exploring them. Any favorites?

Popular Destinations

  • Aloha Stadium
  • Diamond Head Crater Park
  • Dole Plantation
  • Foster Botanical Garden
  • Harold L Lyon Arboretum
  • Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
  • Honolulu Zoo
  • Iolani Palace
  • Kapiolani Park
  • Kualoa Ranch
  • National Tropical Botanical Garden
  • Nuuanu Pali Lookout
  • Old Lahaina Luau
  • Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens
  • Polynesian Cultural Center
  • Sea Life Park Hawaii
  • USS Arizona Memorial Park
  • Volcanoes National Park
  • Waikiki Aquarium
  • Wet N Wild Hawaii

Resorts & Golf Courses

  • Aston At Papakea Resort
  • Aston Islander on the Beach
  • Aston Maui Banyan
  • Aston Maui Kaanapali Villas
  • Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai
  • Hilton Waikoloa Village
  • Honua Kai Resort
  • Kaanapali Beach Walk
  • Kapalua Golf Club Bay Course
  • Kapalua Golf Club Plantation Course
  • Kauai Beach Resort
  • Kiahuna Golf Club
  • Maui Country Club
  • Maui Lani Golf Course
  • Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
  • Mauna Kea & Hapuna Golf Course
  • Naniloa Volcanoes Resort
  • Sheraton Kauai Resort
  • Waiehu Golf Course
  • Wailea Emerald Golf Course
  • Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Village

Other Destinations

  • Kauai Coffee Museum And Visitor Center
  • Keanapou Fishpond
  • King Kamehameha Statue (Big Island)
  • Kukuiula Village Shopping Center
  • West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery

Universities

  • Chaminade University of Honolulu
  • Hawaii Community College Monono Campus
  • Honolulu Community College
  • Kapiolani Community College
  • Leeward Community College
  • University Of Hawaii At Hilo
  • University Of Hawaii At Manoa
  • Windward Community College

Local Parks & Recreation Areas

  • Aiea District Park
  • Aikahi Community Park
  • Aina Haina Community Park
  • Ainahau Triangle
  • Aina Koa Park
  • Ala Moana Regional Park
  • Ala Puumalu Community Park
  • Ala Wai Community Park
  • Alewa Neighborhood Park
  • Asing Community Park
  • Beretania Community Park
  • Booth District Park
  • Carl Smith Beach Park
  • Cartwright Neighborhood Park
  • Central Oahu Regional Park
  • Crane Playground
  • Decorte Neighborhood Park
  • Dole Park
  • Enchanted Lake Park
  • Ewa Beach Community Park
  • Ewa Beach Park
  • Hahalone Neighborhood Park
  • Halawa District Park
  • Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park
  • Haleiwa Beach Park
  • Harold H. Higashihara Park
  • Heeia Neighborhood Park
  • Hoaeae Community Park
  • Hokuahiahi Park
  • Honokaa Park
  • Honolulu City Fern Park
  • Honolulu City Lanakila Park
  • Honolulu City Maunalani Park
  • Honolulu Stadium State Park
  • Hoolulu Park
  • Kaena Point State Park
  • Kahala Community Park
  • Kahaluu Regional Park
  • Kahi Kani Park
  • Kahuku District Park
  • Kaiaka Bay Beach Park
  • Kailua Beach Park
  • Kailua District Park
  • Kaimuki Community Park
  • Kalaheo Park
  • Kalakaua Recreation Center
  • Kalama Beach Park
  • Kalama Valley Park
  • Kalihi Waena Neighborhood Park
  • Kalopa Native Forest State Park
  • Kamaio Neighborhood Park
  • Kamananui Neighborhood Park
  • Kamehameha Park
  • KamiloIki Community Park
  • KamiloIki Neighborhood Park
  • Kaneohe Beach Park
  • Kaneohe Community Park
  • Kaneohe District Park
  • Kaomaaiku Neighborhood Park
  • Kapaolono Community Park
  • Kapiolani Regional Park
  • Kapolei Regional Park
  • Kapunahala Neighborhood Park
  • Kauai Multi-use Path
  • Kawaikui Beach Park
  • Kealohi Neighborhood Park
  • Keehi Lagoon Park
  • Kilauea District Park
  • Kipapa Park
  • Koko Head Park
  • Kuahelani Neighborhood Park
  • Kualoa Regional Park
  • Kuhio Beach & Sans Souci Park
  • Kuliouou Park
  • Kupuohi Neighborhood Park
  • Laenani Neighborhood Park
  • Laie Beach Park
  • Laie Point State Wayside
  • Lava Tree State Park
  • Lehua Community Park
  • Liliuokalani Botanical Garden
  • Lydgate State Park
  • Maili Community Park
  • Makaha Community Park
  • Makakilo Community Park
  • Makakilo Neighborhood Park
  • Makapuu Beach Park
  • Makaunulau Community Park
  • Makena State Park
  • Makiki District Park and Library
  • Malaekahana State Recreation Area
  • Manana Kai Neighborhood Park
  • Manana Playground
  • Manoa Valley District Park
  • Maukalani Neighborhood Park
  • Maunawili Park
  • Melemanu Neighborhood Park
  • Mililani District Park
  • Mililani Mauka District Park
  • Mililani Waena Park
  • Mililani Neighborhood Park
  • Moanalua Community Park
  • Mohouli Park
  • Mother Waldron Neighborhood Park
  • Nani Mau Gardens
  • Neal S. Blaisdell Park
  • Nehu Park
  • Niu Valley Park
  • Noholoa Neighborhood Park
  • Nuuanu Valley Park
  • Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area
  • Palailai Neighborhood Park
  • Palolo Valley District Park
  • Pearl City District Park
  • Petrie Playground
  • Pililaau Community Park
  • Placheco Playground
  • Pohakupu Mini Park
  • Punaluu County Beach Park
  • Puohala Neighborhood Park
  • Puuloa Neighborhood Park
  • Puunui Community Park
  • Puu Ualakaa State Wayside
  • Rainbow Falls State Park
  • Salt Lake District Park
  • Samuel M Spencer Beach Park
  • Sand Island State Recreation Area
  • South Of Punaluu County Beach Park
  • Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park
  • Sunset Beach Support Park
  • Vidinha Stadium
  • Waahila Ridge State Recreation Area
  • Wahiawa District Park
  • WaiaholeBeach Park
  • Waialae Beach Park
  • Waialae Iki Park
  • Waianae District Park
  • Waiaula District Park
  • Waiau Neighborhood Park
  • Wailea Ulua Mokapu Beach Parks
  • Wailoa Center and Park
  • Wailuku River State Park
  • Wailupe Beach Park
  • Wailupe Playground
  • Waimalu Neighborhood Park
  • Waimanalo Beach Park
  • Waimanalo District Park
  • Waimea Bay Beach Park
  • Waimea State Recreation Pier
  • Waipahu District Park
  • Waipahu Uka Neighborhood Park
  • Waipio Neighborhood Park
  • Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park
  • West Hawaii Civic Center
  • West Loch Shoreline Park
  • Whitemore Community Park
  • Whittington Park
  • Waimanalo Bay State Recreation Area
  • Waimea State Recreation Pier

Update: Here is the official announcement on the Google blog. Also, I noted that the Google Street View team missed most of Mililani Town during their last update. I’m happy to say my neighborhood is now fully mapped!

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June 16th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Business, Hawaii, Technology

FriiDeclaring daily deal discounts an ‘old school’ fad, a local firm is betting that free stuff is the best way to connect businesses to new customers. Frii [iTunes link] is a new app from Hawaii-based mobile advertising firm Friistyle. And the app recently launched with several local merchants, including Wahoo’s Fish Taco, Zpizza, Kona Brewing Company, Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha, Auntie Pasto’s, The Box Jelly, and more.

Users sign up to claim a limited number of free items at each business. For example, as of this writing, there are 99 free stuffed mushrooms appetizers from Auntie Pasto’s still available, 49 free fish tacos from Wahoo’s, and 12 keiki shave ice from Uncle Clay’s. Under services, The Box Jelly is offering free three-day memberships (20 left).

Once you’ve nabbed an offer you can also share it with friends on Facebook, an action that can also include additional benefits. And to redeem it, the app checks your location via GPS to make sure you’re at the merchant’s location.

“It is also completely free for local merchants to send out offers for free stuff,” founding partner Michael Martone tells me. “Basically everyone wins.”

Of course, for Frii to win, too, the app needs more users to drive to merchants and service providers (and to see the in-app ads). But by featuring 100 percent discounts on popular stuff from popular places, hopefully they won’t have too much trouble finding fans.

Check out the fun introductory video on YouTube:

To learn more, visit the website, check out the Frii page on Facebook, or follow @Friistyle on Twitter. You can get the app via iTunes.

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June 15th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Politics, Television

On last night’s “Colbert Report,” host Steve Colbert and his writers seized on the news that Linda Lingle was launching her own cable TV channel.

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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Colbert’s comments were preceded by the news that there was so much money flowing into political advertising that some analysts are asking if we could run out of airtime. Here’s a transcript:

Luckily folks, there’s an innovation in free speech from former Hawaii governor and rejected Superman love interest Linda Lingle. She is running for the senate seat vacated by Dan Akaka. Lingle is hoping to follow Akaka in Hawaii’s long tradition of senators with hilarious names. She is currently trailing her likely democratic opponent by 20 points, but all that is about to change.

A U.S. senate candidate in Hawaii is giving the term ‘channel surfing’ a whole new meaning. Former Hawaii governor LL has launched her own cable channel. Beginning on or about June 21st, ‘Lingle 2012′ will be added to Oceanic Cable’s digital line up, which means you’ll be able to Watch her any time of the day.

That’s right. Linda Lingle is using campaign funds to start her own cable channel. So now you’ll be able to see her any time you turn on the TV, just like Senator Seacrest.

With ‘Lingle 2012,’ Lingle can reach voters who will watch 24 hours of political ads… key demographics like insomniacs, people in traction, people who can’t find the remote, people trapped under a book case, empty Best Buy stores, and cats left alone with the TV for comfort.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what kind of programing she’ll have, from her morning show, “Aloha Lingle,” to her late night sign-off, “Aloha, Lingle.”

I say this breakthrough in free speech is too important to keep isolated on Hawaii like Tom Selleck or leprosy. This is the most important election of our lifetime. If money is speech, speech that informs voters, and if an informed voter is the bedrock of democracy, then for the good of this divided nation I say Obama and Romney should each get their own cable channels dedicated solely to their own election.

Oh, that was quick.

You can watch the segment above or on the Colbert site.

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June 4th, 2012 by Ryan Ozawa · Environment, Science, The Web

Comparison

The wealthier the city, the thicker the trees. So writes Tim de Chant of the ‘Per Square Mile‘ blog, focused on density and geography. In ‘Urban Trees Reveal Income Inequality,’ he cites a 2007 study:

They found that for every 1 percent increase in per capita income, demand for forest cover increased by 1.76 percent. But when income dropped by the same amount, demand decreased by 1.26 percent. That’s a pretty tight correlation.

He followed up his post by asking whether income inequality would be visible from space, and turned to Google Maps. He shares examples from wealthy and low-income neighborhoods in Oakland, Houston, Chicago, even Beijing and Rio de Janeiro.

There are a number of reasons why the images might not make for perfect comparisons, from regional topography and climate (I’d expect that wealthier people might naturally flock toward cooler, wetter areas in a region) to the time of year the satellite imagery was taken. Still, at first glance, they seemed to support the general theory.

He also asked for more examples, so I captured Google imagery from around Oahu. I knew I couldn’t try to compare obvious high-income, densely populated lush valleys like Manoa, or the dry but mostly empty fields of Kalaeloa. I focused on places where I could get similar, same-magnification views full of mostly residential lots: Ewa Beach, Kalihi, Mililani, and Hawaii Kai.

Again, these neighborhoods have many differences besides average household incomes. Mililani is a meticulously planned community anchored by greenways and parks at a high altitude, so a definite outliner (but a decent ‘middle income’ example). Lower-income Ewa Beach and wealthy Hawaii Kai are both at sea level, while Kalihi is inland and stretches into a green valley. Finally, the imagery is definitely from different photo sets, and thus likely several years apart let alone seasons.

Even so, at a glance, I bet someone who doesn’t even know anything about these neighborhoods can figure out where people with higher incomes live. While the difference between Ewa Beach and Hawaii Kai is more subtle, Kalihi versus Mililani is striking.

Ewa Beach:

Ewa Beach

Hawaii Kai:

Hawaii Kai

Kalihi:

Kalihi

Mililani:

Definitely check out Tim de Chant’s blog posts for much more nuanced analysis, including a few unexpected reasons for the disparity, and the benefits of trees.

What do you think? Obvious? Misleading? Is Hawaii geography too diverse for this kind of broad conclusion to comfortably apply?

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