Helpful Places

Applications are now open for another cohort of the Knight Emerging City Champions! Led by 8 80 Cities with support from Knight Foundation, this fellowship is for creative young leaders with bold ideas that strengthen trust and community connection, foster creative expression and build local resilience in one of the eight Knight Cities. We’re thrilled to be working with the participants again this year to explore the role of technology in creating more informed and engaged communities and more equitable public spaces for all. ⬇️ See link in comments to apply. #k880champs #CommunityConnection #CreativeExpression #LocalResilience #PublicSpace #CivicTech #880Cities #CreatingCitiesForAll #KnightFoundation #Akron #Macon #StPaul #Charlotte #Detroit #Miami #SanJose #Philadelphia

We’re teaming up with inCitu for another walking tour exploring the invisible digital city, as part of this year’s Jane's Walk in New York City! 🕵 Join us on Friday, May 2nd to uncover the digital technologies and other urban gems hiding in plain sight around Hudson Yards. #JanesWalk #JanesWalkNYC #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement

✈️ We're headed to San Antonio for Smart Cities Connect! ☕ Coffee Break 🗓️ Monday, April 14, 10:40-10:55 am 📍Right outside the Keynote room on level 2! Come get your coffee fix and talk with us about how we help organizations raise awareness and foster community trust in smart city & emerging technologies. Then join our panel discussion right after 👇 🎤 Shaping the Future of Urban Planning: Building Public Trust in Digital Transformation and Smart Cities 🗓️ Monday April 14, 11:00-11:50 am 📍Room 209 ✨ Data, sensors and AI are increasingly new forms of public infrastructure being used in cities to operate and provide services. Yet typical practices around tech design and deployment are not best suited for having inclusion, equity and participation in the innovation process. ➡️ Join us as we explore how participatory processes around smart city technology intersect with urban planning concepts and practices - and discuss how bringing these practices together is key to building public trust in developing a smarter, more inclusive future. This session will bring together municipal innovators and urban planners from across North America, including our own CEO Jacqueline Lu, Rachel S., Siqi Zhu, Chase Klingensmith, and moderator Pamela Robinson. #SCC25 #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement

Happy International Women in Tech Day! Not only is Helpful Places a women-led business, but our team has several talented and driven women across all levels of our organization. We wanted to take a minute to all of these wonderful women who contribute their expertise, creativity, and passion every day, helping us build more equitable and participatory smart(er) cities. 🌟 Jacqueline Lu leads Helpful Places as CEO, advancing tech transparency in smart cities with DTPR.io, an open-source visual language. A WEF council member, she’s led data strategy at Mozilla, innovation at Sidewalk Labs, and data science at NYC Parks & Rec. Jacqueline also spearheaded NYC’s largest street tree mapping project. 🌟 Adrienne Schmoeker joined Helpful Places in 2021, and is the Strategic Partnerships Lead. She is co-leading DTPR City Cohort recruitment and driving DTPR adoption with the Knight Foundation, France, and the World Economic Forum. As a senior leader, Adrienne brings expertise in AI governance, strategic data applications, and urban innovation. 🌟 Jyoti Singh Dhillon is the Design Research & Product Associate, focuses on DTPR’s product strategy and UX design, ensuring tech solutions empower cities through transparency. She believes purposeful tech transforms public services, making them more accessible, efficient, and equitable. 🌟 Logan Werschky guides organizations in navigating responsible tech choices as Responsible Tech Lead at Helpful Places. With a background in public service and as a professor, she leads our tech and society research to create digital governance strategies and drive client investments. Logan is driven by the power of collaboration and is dedicated to building community trust and promoting tech literacy. 🌟 Anjali Rajput, MPP is the Business Development Associate at Helpful Places, her focus is on growing the business and connecting with clients. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy specializing in Digital Society and is passionate about technology in public spaces and as a policy solution. WomenTech Network #WITDAY

We're delighted to see the results of Porto Digital's digital transparency initiative! Using the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR.io) standard and the Helpful Places Platform, they've successfully engaged Porto residents and increased their awareness of technologies in public spaces.

💥 To kick off Smart City Expo USA, Helpful Places teamed up with inCitu yesterday to lead a smart city tour of the "engineered city" that is Hudson Yards! A dozen folks from around the world braved yesterday's windy weather as we explored how augmented reality could show us future building developments with inCitu and held fruitful discussions about LinkNYC, NYPD streetscape technology and the High Line’s terms & conditions – in addition to observing other technologies hidden in plain sight. ➡️ Come learn more about how Helpful Places helps uncover and make legible technologies in public spaces by joining our Assembly session at the Expo today at 2:40pm (link in comments) or visiting our booth (K5) in the Expo Hall. #SCEUSA25 #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement

‼️ We are officially in New York City for Smart City Expo USA! Here’s where you can find us this week starting today: 👟 Walking Tour: Explore NYC’s Invisible Digital City 🗓️ Tue, April 1st, 4:00 - 5:00 PM 📍 Hudson Yards 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbm4Q9Cc Uncover the unseen parts of Hudson Yards through a 45-minute walking tour led by Helpful Places and inCitu. Together, we will explore smart cities infrastructure and other urban gems hidden in plain sight around Hudson Yards. 🎤 Panel: Do You Know What That Sensor is Doing? Building Community Trust in Emerging Tech 🗓️ Wed, April 2nd, 2:40 - 3:20 PM 📍 Assembly, Javits Center 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gDK-pebP Sensors and AI-enabled systems are part of the way cities are built, but it can be difficult for communities to understand how these new forms of infrastructure can improve outcomes and provide public benefit. The session will feature a discussion with city leaders that have used the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR.io) standard to advance their cities’ initiatives, from an early experimental pilot in the City of Boston to powering the City of Long Beach’s Digital Rights Platform and supporting community collaborations for smart cities. The discussion will reflect on lessons learned and explore future needs and directions for DTPR in the age of AI. 💡 What Questions Do Communities Have About AI Use? A Collaborative Workshop on Public Needs for AI Legibility 🗓️ Thurs, April 3rd, 2:40 - 3:20 PM 📍 Solutions Circle, Javits Center 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gjWxUkTd Cities are facing public demands as well as legislative action to be more transparent about tech and AI use - how can we do better than a pile of PDFs to build community trust in their use? Join Helpful Places and a curated group of city tech leaders for an interactive workshop to share the types of questions your constituents are asking, and contribute your feedback to the creation of the next version of the DTPR standard, an increasingly recognized "nutrition label" for smart city tech. ⭐ Helpful Places Booth 🗓️ Wed, April 2nd - Thurs, April 3rd 📍 Booth K5, Expo Hall, Javits Center Come chat with us about how we help organizations raise awareness and foster community trust in smart city & emerging technologies. #SCEUSA25 #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement

Sensors and AI-enabled systems have become part of the way cities are built. But how do we help communities understand how these new forms of infrastructure can improve outcomes and provide public benefit? Join us next week at Smart City Expo USA for a panel discussion with our CEO Jacqueline Lu, civic tech innovators Lea Eriksen and Nigel Jacobs, and moderated by Greg Lindsay. 🎤 Do You Know What That Sensor is Doing? Building Community Trust in Emerging Tech 🗓️ Wed, April 2nd, 2:40 - 3:20 PM 📍 Assembly, Javits Center Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR.io) is an award-winning, globally recognized open-source communication standard that helps people see and understand how data, sensors and AI shapes the places we live, work and play. This session will feature a discussion with these city leaders that have used DTPR to advance their cities’ initiatives, from early experimental pilots in the City of Boston to powering the City of Long Beach’s Digital Rights Platform and supporting community collaborations for smart cities. The discussion will reflect on lessons learned and explore future needs and directions for the DTPR standard in the age of AI. 👇 See link in comments for full session details #SCEUSA25 #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement #AI

"The smart city concept is moving beyond a sole focus on technology and toward a more human-centred approach.” Sydney Olympic Park Authority’s use of the Digital Trust for Places and Routines standard was recently highlighted in a Government News article as an example of Transport for NSW’s Smart Places Strategy and how to use digital technologies in ways that put people’s needs first. Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR.io) is an award-winning, globally recognized open-source communication standard that helps people see and understand how data, sensors and AI shapes the places we live, work and play. https://lnkd.in/dPSVG9xn #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement

Spring is upon us and so is conference season! We’ll be in New York City at the start of April for Smart City Expo USA. Here’s where you can find us: 👟 Walking Tour: Explore NYC’s Invisible Digital City 🗓️ Tue, April 1st, 4:00 - 5:00 PM 📍 Hudson Yards 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbm4Q9Cc Uncover the unseen parts of Hudson Yards through a 45-minute walking tour led by Helpful Places and inCitu. Together, we will explore smart cities infrastructure and other urban gems hidden in plain sight around Hudson Yards. 🎤 Panel: Do You Know What That Sensor is Doing? Building Community Trust in Emerging Tech 🗓️ Wed, April 2nd, 2:40 - 3:20 PM 📍 Assembly, Javits Center 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gDK-pebP Learn about Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR.io), an award-winning, globally recognized open-source communication standard that helps people see and understand how data, sensors and AI shapes the places we live, work and play. This panel discussion will explore how the standard works, and how cities, living labs and innovation districts are adopting it as an enabling infrastructure that fosters community trust in smart city tech. ⭐ Helpful Places Booth 🗓️ Wed, April 2nd - Thurs, April 3rd 📍 Booth K5, Expo Hall, Javits Center Come chat with us about how we help organizations raise awareness and foster community trust in smart city & emerging technologies. #SCEUSA25 #SmartCities #DigitalTrust #UrbanInnovation #Transparency #ResidentEngagement