Property’s Morning Obsession: lotxlot, An Addictive Mapping App
Possible City is an urban planning project that facilitates collaboration between planners who work in government and the ivory tower and citizens and organizations with boots on the ground. Such top-down/bottom-up partnerships not only make things happen more efficiently–bypassing misunderstandings with community members who resent intrusion–but spurs innovation as well.
So what kind of tool encourages the participation of an average citizen who feels divorced from big Ed Bacon-like plans? An app like lotXlot, which maps the city’s vacant lots–both publicly owned and privately owned–a total of 6.7 percent of Philadelphia.
Now, admittedly, that might not sound addictive, but once you get started, it’s a little hard to stop. The user looks at the lots with a satellite view, really seeing, for once, what space is out there and where–starting with your own location. Click on a lot, and get basic info about ownership, including sale price for some publicly owned lots.
lotxlot app [Possible City]
