SeeClickFeast: Shake Shack comes to New Haven

Like every member of the New Haven Community, our stomachs rumbled in approval at the recent news that Shake Shack will be opening a location here in town; in fact, it will be right down the street from our office on Chapel Street.  For those of you who don’t know, Shake Shack is a mini-chain that originated in New York that has developed a devoted following, especially for its signature “roadside” burgers.   A problematic temptation for those trying to abide by diets? Perhaps.  A positive development for the “thrilling urban renaissance,” in the words of Shake Shack Founder Danny Meyer, currently underway in New Haven? Definitely.  

In fact, the restaurant will open in a space that is owned by Yale University, but has been unoccupied for years.  For some New Haveners, this became a source of frustration, because they felt that this prime location should not have languished, underutilized, for so long.  Where do engaged citizens turn when they want to express themselves on an issue relevant to their community?  SeeClickFix, of course.

In SeeClickFix Issue # 14074, New Haven residents bandied about ideas for the space, and encouraged Yale to find a suitable tenant for the location.  The issue received a lot of attention, garnering nearly six thousand views.  Yale representative Bruce Anderson even contributed to the comment thread, writing, “...we are within 30-60 days of announcing a tenant for this space.”  This is another great example of how we’re helping to bring communities together, and its especially satisfying since it concerns our own neighborhood.

So, a hearty welcome to our soon to be neighbors, Shake Shack.  We look forward to enjoying a burger in the near future.

Sparking Inspiration with SeeClickFix

Recently, this article caught our eye, because of its focus on the effort of techies affiliated with online retailer Zappos to rejuvenate Las Vegas. The company is moving its headquarters downtown, encouraging employees to live in the neighborhood, and working to lure other businesses to join it.

This sentence, describing Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, was especially interesting to us:

“Indeed, the motivation for Hsieh's big bet comes from his long-held philosophy that serendipitous interactions, or what he likes to call spontaneous "collisions" between people, are what spark ideas and what facilitate relationships that lead to stronger ties -- and stronger ties lead to more ideas.”

It seems that Zappos and SeeClickFix share this common cause. We’re thrilled when citizens can use our site to address a particular issue that affects their community, like issue #152700 Blocked storm drain, which brought attention to a basic public service that needed to be restored. We also know that our platform can be used to foster the collisions that Hsieh is interested in, which will enrich the community ties in areas that use SeeClickFix. For instance, a group of users took to the site to express a desire for more dog friendly spaces in Issue #131594 New Haven’s Lack of Dog Parks. They even started to fundraise for the park by taking professional portraits of neighborhood dogs for a fee.

This is obviously a very exciting time for Las Vegas, but most communities don’t have access to the hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested there. However, anyone with access to the web can log on to SeeClickFix, get connected with their neighbors, and express their desires for their community. 

We’re hoping that this will continue to lead to the sparks of inspiration and enhanced civic life that we’re trying to facilitate.

Registration open for inaugural SeeClickFix PhotoFix competition!

To celebrate the end of an exciting year at SeeClickFix, and to help close out 2011 with lots of newly closed issues, we are hosting our inaugural PhotoFix competition here in New Haven! Residents and shutterbugs (both amateur and pro) are encouraged to join us from November 28th through December 2nd and compete to take home various honors including the title of PhotoFix Champion!

We’ll be ranking competitors on number of points earned, most photos added to open issues, most issues closed with pictures of the fix, and, of course, the best photograph added to both an open issue and a closed issue. The competition starts Monday, November 28th and you can start searching for issues without photos by navigating to SeeClickFix.com/New-Haven. Points will be awarded based on the following criteria:

• Reporting new issue with photo- 1pt
• Adding photo to issue- 2pts
• Closing issue with photo - 3pts


PhotoFix awards include honors for uploading the most photos (Snapshot Award) and closing the most issues with corresponding photo (Fixer-Upper Award). The person with the most points overall will be
dubbed the PhotoFix Champion. In addition to honed artistic skills and a cleaned-up community, the PhotoFix Champion will earn serious bragging rights and their profile crowned with the first of many
soon-to-launch SeeClickFix badges!

Ready to tell issues in your community “Say Cheese!”? Sign up today! Registration for the SeeClickFix PhotoFix competition is open through November 26th. If you don’t already have one, you must sign up for a SeeClickFix account so our team can track your progress. With your account you can report and update issues via mobile app, SeeClickFix.com, our Facebook app, or through widgets embedded on sites such as the New Haven Register. Make sure you (and all of your photographer friends!) click here and sign up by November 26th!

Trash, Weeds and TVs: An Epic Community Cleanup

Last Saturday, SeeClickFix teamed with the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, the New Haven Parks Department, and other volunteers from around The Elm City to clean up a community eyesore. The Irving Gas station near the corner of Whalley Avenue and West Rock Avenue is nestled between two of New Haven's most prized public spaces - The West River Trail and Edgewood Park. Despite it's beautiful surrounds, the gas station has been severely neglected, with trash and weeds piling up along its shared border with the West River Trail for several years.

Increasingly frustrated with the state of the blighted property, SeeClickFix co-founder and Beaver Hills resident Jeff Blasius helped to spearhead the cleanup. Nearly a year after he posted Issue #46787 - Trash & Weeds - Jeff and nearly 20 other volunteers geared up to address the problem once and for all.

The Japanese Knotweed was taller than the volunteers clearing it!

Armed with pruning shears and some heavy-duty gardening equipment, volunteers cleared the invasive Japanese Knotweed off the West River Trail path and from around the riverbed. Others worked to pick up the years of garbage and broken glass strewn throughout the station grounds. Park Rangers from the New Haven Parks Department hiked up and down the West River next to the property to pull out all of the garbage that had collected there. Needless to say, there was a lot of work to be done and everyone kept busy!

Yes, that is a TV. Yes, we pulled it out of the West River. Yes, it's disgusting.

Within three hours, our teams had filled over 10 reusable dumpsters with weeds, trash and debris. The dumpsters and disposal of everything we cleaned was very generously donated by Westville company BullBag. As you can see below, we definitely needed a pretty big hand getting rid of everything...

Cleanup muscle c/o BullBag

While there is still work to be done at this location, SeeClickFix is proud to have been part of a huge first step towards fixing this problem for good. Our team will be working with WVRA and the New Haven Parks Department on future projects at this location, so check back here frequently for updates on how you can get involved too!

SeeClickFix co-founder Jeff couldn't be happier to see his issue being fixed.

A very big "Thank you!" to Jane Mills and Chris Heitmann from the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, Harry Coyle from the New Haven Parks Department, BullBag, and all of the volunteers who came out to help!

Check out more photos from our cleanup, and see what else we found in the river on the SeeClickFix Facebook page!

This Weekend in Westville: Clean up the West River Trail!

This weekend SeeClickFix is teaming up with the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance to clean up an important gateway to Westville Village and to the West River Trail. Read all about our efforts below and come help us close Issue #120165 - Clean up the West River Trail - Saturday, September 10, from 9:30AM - 11:30AM!

WHAT? A community cleanup to improve the West River trail at the intersection of Whalley Avenue in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven. Volunteers are needed to assist with:

• Sweeping litter that collects along the edge of the paved trail.

• Trimming the Japanese Knotweed that grows over the trail.

• Sweeping the sidewalk along Whalley as it approaches the intersection of Whalley and the West River.

• Pulling debris from the river and river bank that hasn't been carried downstream by Hurricane Irene, including metal signs.

WHEN and WHERE? Saturday, September 10, from 9:30AM to 11:30AM. Volunteers will meet at the gazebo in Edgewood Park near the corner of Whalley and West Rock Ave. Convenient parking is just off West Rock Avenue in Edgewood Park, near the gazebo.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? Sturdy boots, sneakers or wellingtons and socks to protect against poison ivy and no-see-ums, insect repellent and work gloves.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING? If you have it, bring a good broom, or litter grabber. Check with us later this week to see what we still need, including shovels or pruning sheers. Bringing along family and friends is also definitely encouraged!

SHOULD I RSVP? Yes! Please shoot us an email at contact@seeclickfix.com to let us know that you're coming, or if you have any questions or concerns we can address.

We hope to see you Saturday!

A Community Taking Root

Photo courtesy of Thomas MacMillan 

Back in early May, we told you about the CommunitiesTakeRoot contest and its mission to revitalize public spaces nationwide by providing neighborhoods with their very own fruit orchards. Well, it looks like one fruit orchard will be taking root right here in the Elm City!

According to the New Haven Independent, the Friends of Edgewood Park won the new fruit orchard for its namesake after mustering over 30,000 votes during the competition. Sponsored by Edy's Fruit Bars and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, the grant will provide 44 new fruit trees in the 123-acre park,  "returning a vital resource to one of the city’s true treasures." From growing fresh, nutritious fruit to improving air and water quality, this orchard can provide a healthier and more vibrant community for all New Haven citizens.

An organizer of the effort, Jessica Feinlab said “We will either plant the trees this Fall or next spring based on volunteer interest and getting a water source to the site"(tentative planting around Labor Day). Even better? The city agreed to match the award by planting the same number of fruit trees across the city!

We're honored the Friends of Edgewood Park used SeeClickFix (Issue #95410 - Vote for a Fruit Trees Orchard in Edgewood Park!) to help raise awareness about its participation in this delicious competition. The SeeClickFix team looks forward to getting its hands dirty in the coming weeks!

Everybody Get On The Bus!

Guest post by Kevin Donohue, Superstar SeeClickFix Intern

All New Haveners should cheer Megabus’ recent announcement that it will start providing service between New Haven and Boston. A new, cost-effective option for public transportation is good news for anyone looking to save a few bucks while also helping to save the planet. Plus, the free tickets that Megabus is giving away seem like a great way to head to Beantown to enjoy some chowdah without the hassle of pahking the cah.

We here at SeeClickFix are humbly patting ourselves on the back for giving voice to the many New Haven citizens who wanted more public transportation options through Issue #7425: Bolt Bus Should Run from New Haven to New York. Since being posted roughly two years ago, there has been extensive conversation going on among local residents about the need for more bus routes to pass through New Haven.

In fact, this issue--which was started by our own Ben Berkowitz--was cited in a Board of Alderman resolution calling on BoltBus to provide service between New Haven and New York. City official Crissy Bonanno contributed to the issue comments and stated:

The City of New Haven is committed to getting Bolt Bus to add us to their route. Working with area partners that share this goal, we are sending the company extensive demographic and marketing materials to show that New Haven would be a profitable addition to their business. We are asking the company to check out this ticket at SeeClickFix to gauge community interest--so keep the posts and links coming!

When last contacted about the possibility of expanding to New Haven, BoltBus indicated that it had no immediate plans because of the weak economy. Hopefully, Megabus’ addition of New Haven will be successful, demonstrating the viability of bus travel to and from New Haven. At any rate, it’s very rewarding to see that after years of clamoring for more bus lines through SeeClickFix, New Haven community members are being heard.

See you on the bus!

Southern Connecticut State University Becomes Inaugural University Partner

Southern Connecticut State University Goes Hi-Tech to Improve Its Campus Community

SCSU Will Become SeeClickFix’s Inaugural University Partner

New Haven, Conn. (June 27, 2011) – Southern Connecticut State University and SeeClickFix announce a new partnership to simultaneously empower the campus community and improve the institution’s physical environment. The university will leverage SeeClickFix’s place-based reporting platform to address non-emergency problems reported on campus, ranging from broken windows and glass to damaged sidewalks and graffiti.

“Since our launch a few years ago, we’ve partnered with countless cities, media outlets, and community groups nationwide and overseas,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “Now, that list has expanded to include academic institutions thanks to SCSU. We look forward to seeing how our online technology helps create offline results.”

With the reporting platform, students, faculty, and staff can report quality-of-life campus concerns through custom service request categories through the online, mobile (iPhone, Android, and Blackberry), and Facebook platforms, and also provide additional information about the problem through the description or image options. Once someone submits an issue, the reporter and those responsible for fixing the problem will receive email notifications. The facilities department can then acknowledge the service request and update the issue page once it’s been resolved.

The partnership allows individuals to not only report campus issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others. They can even create “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported on campus, enabling individuals to follow the progress of all service requests.

Robert G. Sheeley, Associate Vice President for Capital Budgeting & Facilities Operations, introduced the idea of partnering SCSU with SeeClickFix. Sheeley believes SeeClickFix will enhance the capabilities and responsiveness of the facilities department through its transparent and accessible platform.

“With this public, user-friendly forum, we can more efficiently address campus concerns and more closely connect with students, faculty, and staff to solve these problems that impact everyone,” he said.

Thomas Struble, Coordinator of Property/Inventory/Stores/Receiving, will administer SeeClickFix on campus.

“It will improve the lines of communication between campus facilities and the people it serves while also creating a safer and more vibrant environment,” he said.

With commuters comprising the majority of SCSU’s student population, interim president Dr. Stanley Battle hopes SeeClickFix will engage both on-campus and off-campus students.

“Our goal is to engage all students, not just the ones living on campus, and encourage them to improve their surroundings,” he said. “SeeClickFix places the power directly in the hands of the campus community.”

The SeeClickFix widget, mobile applications, and Facebook App can be found here.

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. For more information on SeeClickFix or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

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Providing the Surface for Change

Photo courtesy of Dean Sakamoto Architects 

Truman Capote once said, "A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue." When he spoke these words, he did not have SeeClickFix in mind--largely because we only launched a few years ago. Still, they ring incredibly true on our public forum. From potholes and parking meters to garbage and graffiti, citizens everywhere can report problems in their communities with SeeClickFix. These people can not only document those existing issues, but also offer solutions to them and even suggest entirely new improvements to the public space.

Hoping to improve cyclists' riding experiences, Dean Sakamoto Architects LLC asked SeeClickFix users what surface would be the best to ride on in New Haven. The firm currently plans to use linear paver in the final stretch of the Farmington Canal Greenway, but wanted cyclist feedback. With close to 300 views, Issue #97622 - Linear Paver Choice for the Farmington Canal Greenway has generated numerous suggestions after being reported just six days ago.

Agreeing with Dean Sakamoto Architects, Brian Tang mentioned that pavers would be ideal since they are more eco-friendly and would help prevent water from pooling on the trail.

Pavers create much less water pollution than asphalt: A) they do not contain petroleum and thus do not leach organic pollutants, sulfur, etc. and B) they allow a certain amount of water to seep into the cracks rather than sweep along the surface, picking up pollutants and carrying them to the Long Island Sound. Stormwater runoff is the #1 source of pollution in the Long Island Sound.

Another user Melissa thought semi-loose paving could work well since it allows for water absorption.

I've cycled on paths with this sort of paving in Britain, where they are using this for environmental reasons and found it worked well. It's also attractive, provides better traction than you'd think, and enables you to hear if someone is approaching from behind.

A few miles away, another New Haven resident hopes SeeClickFix will help improve an underpass on Chapel Street. Located in Wooster Square and reported eleven days ago, Issue ##96744 - Have any cool ideas for improving this underpass? has already received countless suggestions about how to make this underpass an interesting public space. In fact, one user suggested transforming it via community art:

How about a "Gateway to Downtown" or " Gateway to New Haven" mural maybe: depicting the various neighborhoods and highlights, like Wooster Sq., the Green, East Rock, architecture, etc... Or maybe showing New Haven proper on the side of the tunnel towards downtown, and then Fair Haven highlights right next to it, like the river and boating, the Grand Ave bridge, the old mansions & Victorians, people in the neighborhood, historical scenes, like oystering and lobstermen. Many people never drive past the junkyards, thinking there's "nothing" over our way in Fair Haven.

Yet another resident Juli approached the underpass with a more agricultural idea:

What about if neighbors could donate a flower pot or two, and line them up along the inside edge? Plants that don't require a ton of sunlight? It would be cool to have all different shapes and sizes. I think if there was a critical mass of pots, theft would be less likely. Or some of the pots could have pinwheels in them, since its always windy under overpasses. Or we could plant some ivy at the very edges, with the eventuality of it growing to cover some of the grey space. It would take several seasons, but it would spread, as long as we hung something for it to attach to.

Through both issues, New Haven residents demonstrate the power of many voices coming together in one community. We're excited to see how both issues continue to generate constructive dialogue on SeeClickFix!

Fastest Fix Ever?

Resolving issues isn't a competition. If it were, however, the Town Green Special Services District of New Haven would totally dominate. Our very own Ben Berkowitz reported two separate issues involving graffiti in the last day. And they've already been cleaned up!

Reported yesterday, issue #89849 involved graffiti on State Street, which the Town Green District painted over within the day. Think that was fast? Well, the organization's Clean Team already dealt with another spot of graffiti (issue #90153) posted just three hours ago!

The Town Green District seeks to make New Haven an "internationally competitive urban environment in which to live, work, learn and play." We think they're doing an exceptional job at keeping our city clean, safe, and fun!

From pedestrian safety to a safer community - Wooster Square

This Saturday evening Wooster Square neighborhood in New Haven celebrated the city's first solar street lights. On the Court Street bridge neighbors showed up to thank the city, SeeClickFix and President Obama for the added sense of security provided to the gateway of their neighborhood.

From complaining to resolution this is the story of how a neighborhood dramtically improved public safety in the past 1 1/2 years.

Wooster Square started documenting pedestrian concerns on SeeClickFix two years ago. Collectively lobbying for pedestrian in road signage they learned to work together to encourage the city to improve pedestrian safety.

Soon the economy started to dive and street crime such as muggings in the neighborhood started to pick-up. The bridge hosting this celebration was the most frequent location of the muggings and also the access point to the neighborhood. Neighbors met on SeeClickFix around the same concerns and started a neighborhood group to address the concerns. They then used SeeClickFix to lobby the private apartment buildings for lighting as well as temporary lighting from the City.

The final resolution came when the neighborhood group led by Kari Brady printed out the SeeClickFix issues and petition and walked them into City Hall. A promise to place solar lights on the bridge was realized and the rest is history.

There has not been a mugging in the area in over 9 months and the permanent solar lights are now placed on the bridge.

Here's to stronger communities stymied by citizens that were willing to speak-up and unite for their own safety. Here's to a web platform that can enable that engagement and that participation in a meaningful way. Here's to a city that has learned to respond to the needs of its citizens and enable their participation in defining the public space.

Cheers!

(Photos are courtesy of the New Haven Independent) Read about the Party in this New Haven Independent Article:
http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/and_wooster_square_said_let_there_be_light_and_there_was/id_29649

A Dangerous Redesign

A redesigned intersection in New Haven worries one SeeClickFixer, who called the corner "incredibly dangerous, possibly deadly."

According to a SeeClickFix issue posted today, the traffic light at State and Grove in the northbound left turning lane is difficult to see: it was placed at eye-level as opposed to the standard overhead position. Drivers end up turning left on a red light, when looking up at the other traffic light and completely missing the eye-level light intended for them.

The fixer who posted the issue, Pedro Soto, staked out the site with his video camera and captured a car making this common but dangerous mistake. Pedro is "seriously concerned that unless a change is implemented soon, someone is going to lose their life," he wrote.

Check out the helpful video footage that Pedro posted of this possibly deadly corner:

More Crime or More Eyes?

Owners of a Peruvian restaurant in a high-crime area of New Haven were denied permission to build a porch for outdoor seating at a zoning hearing last week. Local cops claimed that a porch would further aggravate crime. SeeClickFixers, however, are suggesting that more eyes on the street could be better for that corner.

Local developer De Frutos points at the corner in question, overgrown and underused. Photo courtesy of the NH Independent

What do you think? How have similar issues played out in other cities? Will building a porch help take back the street, provide a high-concentration of potential crime victims, or none of the above?

Check out the New Haven Independent article that brought the issue to light and the corresponding SeeClickFix thread. It will be interesting to see how this issue unfolds.

Because Even Box City has Pot Holes...

Imagine a city made of boxes, where the urban planners are eight years old. The result? A patchwork of candy-colored buildings and a water-slide plunging into Long Island Sound.

SeeClickFix helped bring this Box City to life this weekend at the kick-off of New Haven's International Festival of Arts & Ideas. The imaginative event helped teach children about the building and planning process. Aspiring architects and developers were required to obtain building and materials permits before they constructed their dream building and zoned it in one of New Haven's nine squares.


Since even imagined communities can use some improvements, A SeeClickFix kiosk was provided for attendees to report issues, in cities both real and fake. Let's hope Box City has a public works department.

SeeClickFix: Journalism in its "Purest and Rawest Form"

An article published today in a blog by The Guardian makes an emphatic case for why SeeClickFix is such a great tool for journalists. Local news reporters can use SeeClickFix to glean important facts and quotes for a story, reducing the cost of pounding the pavement for cash strapped publications.

Author Dan Kennedy (pictured at right) uses SeeClickFix's partnership with hyperlocal news-site the New Haven Independent as a case study in the relationship between SeeClickFix and local journalism. In doing so, he provides some serious publicity for a SeeClickFix issue about an unattractive storefront in downtown New Haven, which the Independent turned into a news story in January.

Thanks again to the author Dan Kennedy, who stopped by the SeeClickFix office in May to chat with Ben.

Kennedy describes how the Independent's managing editor Melissa Bailey used SeeClickFix to assemble the facts for her story:

I spotted the SeeClickFix ticket when it popped up on our homepage through an RSS feed [...] The story was perfectly lined up – I had the location (pinpointed on a map) and a stream of quotable comments critiquing the facade. All I had to add for the story was a photo of the storefront and a call to the owner.

Kennedy writes that while many internet forums on news-sites degenerate into "banality and sheer nastiness," SeeClickFix manages to "channel audience participation in constructive, useful ways."

The article presents two different perspectives on the relationship between SeeClickFix and journalism, one from CEO Ben Berkowitz and from New Haven Independent Editor Paul Bass. Surprisingly, the more glowing review of SeeClickFix came from outside the company.

While Ben said that he does not consider SeeClickFix to be journalism but a "tool for journalists," Bass called SeeClickFix journalism "in its purest and rawest form." According to Bass, SeeClickFix:

"brings out information that journalists wouldn't have known about, information that often leads to good stories upon further investigation. It also makes things happen. In New Haven it has restored my faith in democracy as I've watched city officials monitor the site and act upon its complaints."

Please click here to read the full article! And check out Kennedy's interview with Ben that served as the basis for the Guardian piece.