Helpful Places

Helpful Places

IT Services and IT Consulting

Advancing greater transparency and civic dialogue on the use of digital technology in the built environment.

About us

Embed transparency into your smart places and cities. Get a proven planning framework and governance infrastructure to engage, plan, and share consistent, publicly legible information on digital technologies in public spaces – leveraging the open-source standard Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR). DTPR has been recognized as a finalist for the 2023 World Smart City Innovation Awards in Barcelona, shortlisted for Piccaso Canada's most impactful privacy product award, and highlighted by the American Planning Association in the 2023 Trend Report for Planners. DTPR is a featured initiative of the World Economic Forum's Future of the Connected World Global Action Plan, included in Cornell Tech University’s Urban Tech Hub’s Rebooting NYC Report and featured in publications such as Context, Cities Today, Wired, FWD50, the Urban AI blog, and the University of Michigan’s Urban Technology newsletter.

Industry
IT Services and IT Consulting
Company size
2-10 employees
Type
Privately Held

Employees at Helpful Places

Updates

  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    Another deployment of the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) is live in the City of West Palm Beach, FL! Thanks to support from the Knight Foundation, our partners at the West Palm Beach CRA and Florida Atlantic University are using the #DTPR standard to make technologies in the public realm more legible and discoverable for residents.

    View profile for West Palm Beach CRA, graphic

    The City of West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is committed to creating a vibrant, sustainable community for everyone ✨

    West Palm Beach is launching a new pilot initiative to boost transparency and engagement with public technology, thanks to funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The city, selected alongside Charlotte, NC, and Miami’s The Underline, is trialing the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) standard in collaboration with Helpful Places. DTPR is an open-source communication standard designed to make the use of digital technology in public spaces more understandable and accountable. This system acts as a “nutrition label” for tech, helping residents grasp how these technologies function, their data usage, and their privacy measures. The pilot focuses on smart city technologies in West Palm Beach, including innovations from the Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3). This initiative aims to enhance urban planning, transportation, and public safety using real-time data. By implementing DTPR, the city hopes to inform and involve the community in decisions about technology deployment. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dzYCdmRd For more information on DTPR, visit DTPR.io Helpful Places

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  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    We're delighted to share that the Town of Innisfil's pilot of Digital Trust for Places & Routines (DTPR) was selected for the second Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s Transparency Showcase! The Showcase highlights projects that enhance government transparency, promote civic engagement, and demonstrate the power of open data in improving the lives of Ontarians. We're thrilled to see Innisfil's work communicating and engaging residents about tech in public spaces recognized. To learn more about their DTPR pilot, visit the #IPCTransparencyShowcase site: https://lnkd.in/gaFJZRkU

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  • Helpful Places reposted this

    View profile for Jacqueline Lu, graphic

    Advancing tech transparency and legibility for smart(er) cities

    ✍🏻 It was fulfilling to spend some time this morning writing up some of the learnings and insights we've gleaned at Helpful Places over the past few years to contribute to this call for input to inform UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)'s upcoming World Smart Cities Outlook and International Guidelines. 📓 In 2022, Digital Trust for Places and Routines was referenced in UN Habitat's playbook for local and regional governments "Shaping Co-creation & Collaboration in Smart Cities" as an example of an open standard that helps create the conditions for public oversight of smart city technology, services and infrastructure. Working on the submission today created the opportunity for me to review the Playbook again - and it's just as relevant as ever. Check it out here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/g3s4gbtJ

    📣 1 week left to submit your contributions to our call-for-input on people-centered smart cities 📣 In collaboration with UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), we are seeking case studies to shape our World Smart Cities Outlook and the International Guidelines for People-Centred Smart Cities. If you have implemented or studied a people-centred smart city initiative, we want to hear from you! Share your best practices, impact assessments, and lessons learned in the following areas: 💡 Best Practices and Case Studies: Exemplary smart city projects that showcase tangible impact and can offer valuable lessons for future initiatives. 💡 Impact Assessment: Evaluating how these initiatives have influenced sustainability, resilience, equity, social inclusion, accessibility, security, and quality of life in urban environments. 💡 Drivers and Constraints: Understanding the forces behind these initiatives and the challenges they faced across different regions. Your input will contribute to a global perspective on people-centred smart cities, helping to shape the future of urban development. 🌆 You have time until September 1st to submit your contribution via this online submission form 👇 https://lnkd.in/eG5vzsdJ For more information 👉 https://t.ly/p__Ex #UnityLab #UNHabitat #PeopleCentredSmartCities #SmartCities #Innovation #Sustainability #SustainableDevelopment #UrbanInnovation #DigitalTransformation #UrbanPlanning

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  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    We're thrilled to see the latest deployment of Digital Trust for Places & Routines (DTPR) – and the first in the UK – live at Bristol Temple Meads station! Using the #DTPR standard, Connected Places Catapult and Hello Lamp Post are informing travellers about new technologies being trialled at the station. Check out the station's technology transparency portal – hosted on the Helpful Places Platform – here: https://lnkd.in/gWJTajCN

    View organization page for Connected Places Catapult, graphic

    48,900 followers

    As part of our Station Innovation Zone at Bristol Temple Meads, we’re currently trialling a partnership between two innovative originations. Hello Lamp Post aims to make places better for people through their AI digital assistants, and Helpful Places uses the Digital Trust for Places and Routines standard to share consistent, publicly legible information on technologies in public spaces.   Dotted around the station is new signage, alerting users of the technology within the station and referring them to the Digital Assistant. Here, users can refer to our transparency portal for information about the technologies. Users can also ask the digital assistant a question and provide valuable feedback on their experience. See the portal here: https://lnkd.in/e289gcKe #SIZ #StationInnovationZone #Station #Innovation #Rail #Technology 

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  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    We’re excited to announce we’ll be pitching and exhibiting at the State of GovTech 2024 next month in Kansas City, MO. 🏛️ We’ll be sharing our proven planning framework & governance structure for embedding transparency into smart cities – leveraging the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (#DTPR) open-source standard. We’re looking forward to connecting with other leaders in government tech & innovation. Give us a shout if we’ll see you there! 👋 👉 You can find out more about the summit on the CivStart website: https://lnkd.in/e74ESre3 #govtech #civictech

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  • Helpful Places reposted this

    📍 #AILocalism in action📍🌍 This week #GovTech has an overview of how several US #cities like #LongBeach, CA, #Boston, MA, and #Amarillo, TX, have developed principles and engagements to keep constituents informed about their digital rights at a time of #AI. For instance: 🔹 Long Beach, CA: Recently launched an enhanced Digital Rights Platform, offering detailed insights into how the city uses AI technologies while protecting digital rights. This platform, created in collaboration with California State University, Long Beach and Helpful Places, aims to ensure transparency and civic engagement. 🛡️🌐 🔹 Boston, MA & Charlotte, NC: Also partnered with Helpful Places to increase transparency around technology use, following Long Beach's footsteps. 🔍🏙️ 🔹 Amarillo, TX: Passed a Digital Dignity, Rights, and Privacy policy, emphasizing a human-first approach to technology. They aim to create a “conversational city” where residents are continually engaged and informed about technological advancements and their implications. 👉 All these developments are emerging examples of AI Localism: A term we coined to describe the increasing activity of local governance of AI technologies. (See https://lnkd.in/duVwJps) Our AI Localism Canvas seeks to capture local activity while helping decision-makers review and assess what steps can be taken to ensure residents trust how officials implement AI technologies. Key Elements include: ✅ The development of Principles 👉 such as the Montreal Declaration; ✅ Increasing Transparency 👉 such as Helsinki and Amsterdam who have developed public AI registries; ✅ Designing Responsible AI Procurement 👉 such as Berkeley, CA's surveillance procurement rules; ✅ Participatory Engagement 👉 Involving the public in AI conversations through events and training, such as the Data Assembly in NYC; ✅ Establishing Accountability: 👉 such as oversight mechanisms like Seattle's Surveillance Advisory Working Group; ✅ Adopting Local Regulation: Crafting local AI laws, such as NYC's AI for hiring rules. 🤔 While most observers are focused on what happens at the national and international level, a lot can be learned from cities when it comes to AI governance, as they often act as laboratories of governance innovation... 💻 See GovTech article by Julia Edinger: https://lnkd.in/ecNP5fn8 ➡️ Learn more about the AI Localism canvas: https://lnkd.in/e_-ryVvF 📝 Check out our repository of examples: https://lnkd.in/ecNP5fn8 #SmartCities #DigitalRights #Innovation #Transparency #CivicEngagement #AI #LocalGovernment #PolicyMaking Jacqueline Lu, Vilas Dhar, Adrienne Schmoeker, Sara Marcucci, Mona Sloane, Ph.D.

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  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    👀 We're incredibly excited to share two new resources from the award-winning deployment of the open-source Digital Trust for Places and Routines standard at Sydney Olympic Park in Australia 🇦🇺 📖 A case study put together by Sydney Olympic Park Authority, summarizing what we've learned from and the outcomes from using DTPR to first describe and then engage with visitors and residents about their innovative smart places pilots, from a camera-based AI system for improving crowd safety during large events, to a smart irrigation management system that also helps people find cooler spots in the park - https://lnkd.in/gR8iXXfR 👉 The DTPR Deployment Guide recently published by Transport for NSW which provides place managers and and local councils on why and when, to use DTPR to support their use of connected technologies in public spaces https://lnkd.in/gStnvntd 🔎 Check them out and let us know your thoughts, and feel free contact us with any questions! #innovation #transparency #smartplaces #smartcities #digitaltrust

    We are excited to launch our latest case study, ‘Fostering Digital Trust for Smarter Places’. The case study takes an in-depth look at the challenges presented by the introduction of new technologies in public spaces. Specifically, it examines the importance of building trust and engaging meaningfully with local communities, visitors and others who would interact with these technologies, and introduces a key solution in the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) communication standard. The standard provides crucial engagement support for digital innovation in #smartcities and precincts and has already been successfully implemented within our community through physical and digital signage that encourages interaction and provides a key platform for information and feedback. Governments, universities, businesses and partners wishing to experiment with digital technologies can use our experience as an exemplary case study in the use of innovation to engage meaningfully and build trust with stakeholders. Learn more and read the study here: https://lnkd.in/gR8iXXfR With many thanks to Helpful Places and Transport for NSW for their support and collaboration on this project. #smartplaces #smartNSW #dtpr

    Fostering Digital Trust for Smarter Places | Sydney Olympic Park

    Fostering Digital Trust for Smarter Places | Sydney Olympic Park

    sydneyolympicpark.nsw.gov.au

  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    📣 Some exciting news: Our partners at the Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) recently won the Trusted IoT Service Award at the 2024 Australian IoT Awards! 🎉 Sydney Olympic Park was the first place in the Southern Hemisphere to deploy the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) standard. We’re thrilled to see their efforts bringing transparency to public realm technologies recognized and celebrated! Congratulations to SOPA’s Place Management team – including Susan Skuodas, Mike Bartlett, Dario P., Andy Ko, and Annelise Maurer – for all of their hard work. 👏 And a big thanks to Emily Rucker, Rory Brown and the Smart Places team at Transport for NSW for their support that made this project possible.

    We are thrilled to announce that we have won the Trusted IoT Service Award at the 2024 Australian IoT Awards! IoT Alliance Australia Our pilot project for Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) was a first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. DTPR is an internationally recognised open-source communication standard to increase transparency and accountability for digital technology in public places. We’re proud to have worked with Transport for NSW and Helpful Places to rollout the pilot in 2023, and now to see that our work in engaging and collaborating with the community is being recognised as industry best practice. During the pilot, we implemented transparent signage and information in public places, aiming to make data collection more visible. The DTPR signs tell the story of the technology in use, the data being collected, who is collecting it and what they are using it for. The QR code provided more information for community members and visitors to learn more, ask questions and provide feedback about the technology being used across the Park. The system has been used to communicate about a smart irrigation management pilot, and a pilot using de-identified footage and other data for crowd safety purposes. Congratulations to all who were nominated at these awards. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support from Jason Farra & Jacqueline Lu at Helpful Places and from Rory Brown, Emily Rucker, Lizzy Pattinson, Beth Pankhurst and other key stakeholders across NSW Government. The Place Management team at SOPA should be very proud of this award; Susan Skuodas, Mike Bartlett, Dario Phillips, Andy Ko, and Annelise Maurer. For more information about the pilot, visit https://lnkd.in/g-v4Cye6 and https://lnkd.in/gMMMb-9g #dtpr #sydneyolympicpark #smartplaces #smartcities #smartNSW

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  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    Thrilled that Jonathan Pichot will be speaking about the open-source DTPR standard at this session tomorrow! We're honoured to be part of the discussion and to have the opportunity to learn from Michiel Vaes and Maëlle Fouquenet.

    Curious to learn about #SmartCities? Join the Data & the City webinar this Thursday! 🏙️ We are excited to announce the guest speakers for the final session of the Data & the City cycle, focusing on #transparency in Smart Cities. This free online event will feature experts who are leading innovative projects in #AI, #dataprivacy, and civic technology. Meet the Speakers: ➡️ Michiel Vaes Researcher at imec-SMIT, VUB, and a member of the Knowledge Center Data & Society (KCDS), Michiel is involved in projects related to smart cities, data privacy, AI, citizen science, and public outreach. He will discuss initiatives by the imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel research lab to develop transparency devices and include insights from their comprehensive research. ➡️ Jonathan Pichot Technologist and urbanist leading product development at Helpful Places and European business development, Jonathan has over ten years of experience in civic tech, including founding a Code for America Brigade in Michigan and working with urban planners in NYC. He will talk about the DTPR protocol, a transparency tool that enables citizens to access information on data collection in public spaces via QR codes. ➡️ Maëlle Fouquenet Specialist in digital issues and data analysis, Maëlle supports public institutions in promoting transparency and open data. She has expertise in gender and data issues, as well as algorithmic transparency. Maëlle will present a project by Datactivist on building a FAQ for the French public tool "Mon Diagnostic Artificialisation," highlighting the role of mediation with users. Event Details: 📅 Date: June 27, 2024 🕛 Time: 12:00 - 14:00 📍 Location: Online Don't miss this opportunity to learn from top experts in the field and discover how transparency initiatives are shaping the future of Smart Cities. 👉 Register now to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/dMWPxiWc #SmartCities #AI #Transparency #Innovation #DataPrivacy #CivicTech #CitizenEngagement #TechForGood - Lea Rogliano - Brussels Academy asbl/ vzw - Marion Berzin - Helpful Places - Datactivist - Nathaniël De Leeuw - Yanne Frison

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  • View organization page for Helpful Places, graphic

    561 followers

    Are you going to be at the #GreaterGreener conference next week? 🌳 On Monday, June 24, our President & Co-Founder Jacqueline Lu will be moderating a panel on how parks and public spaces can leverage technology in ways that foster more informed and engaged communities. She'll be joined by Jake Moskowitz from Friends of The Underline, Christopher Roog, CEcD from the City of West Palm Beach, FL, and Ryan Kurtzman from the City of Long Beach. We're looking forward to the discussion and connecting with those of you attending the conference! 🌱 https://lnkd.in/gh28x8J7 #GGSeattle2024

    Parks and Big Data: Fostering Public Trust in Digital Systems - Greater & Greener

    Parks and Big Data: Fostering Public Trust in Digital Systems - Greater & Greener

    greatergreener.org

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