New York SBDC Research Network

Data.gov is leading the way in democratizing public sector data and driving innovation. The data is being surfaced from many locations making the Government data stores available to researchers to perform their own analysis. Developers are finding good uses for the datasets, providing interesting and useful applications that allow for new views and public analysis. This is a work in progress, but this movement is spreading to cities, states, and other countries. For instance, type in the word migration , and you'll get 2007-2008 State-to-State AND County-to-county Migration Inflow AND Outflow, along with the source of that data, which is the IRS. Enter the term business and find Business Employment Dynamics, Licenses and Permits Search, and Loans Search.

Who is Your City? by Richard Florida I have not read this book. I was in Barnes and Noble and came across this title that naturally strikes a chord with me. I had a quick gander and thought I would like to read it and then, while in my car I was teased with a promise of a program discussing the book with the author that never materialized for me. So, I went looking for the story and ended up at this site and took the short survey to discover my best city - of the cities I listed as places I would consider living. The site offers some information about the book and also has themed maps for things such as innovation, economic activity, "mega-regions of Asia", and personality maps, all fun stuff. I have always said I would like to live in an amalgamation of the best cities I have lived in: Brooklyn's frank neighborliness, San Francisco's creative happiness, London's energy and brains...so if SanFrooklyn exists, I'm there.