@BeninTN reminded me yesterday about this awesome collaborative tool that empowers citizens to make their local government work smarter. I first heard about it on NPR and then yesterday in the New York Times. It’s called SeeClickFix.

The site allows users to report problems like pot holes, broken street lights or traffic lights, graffiti or any other similar issue. The report pops up on a map along with other reports. What SeeClickFix then does is send an alert to the agency or business responsible for getting the problem fixed.

Here is an example of Nashville’s map. It’s not quite as busy as Chattanooga and Memphis, but since I shared the map yesterday, five new incidents now appear. Yesterday, their was only one.

Neighborhood and community advocates can create special mapped areas and embed these maps on their websites. Neighbors can then report problems through the map, and the map creator will get alerts each time an incident appears. The map creator can also share a link to particular incidents with elected officials or media if the problem doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Businesses can create maps to monitor areas in which they operate. Parents can set up maps around their children’s school and collaborate to rid the area of graffiti, crime or dangerous road conditions.

The uses are endless, but the end results are the same: a government that is more responsive and accountable to the people. It’s a powerful tool to match your New Year’s resolution to become a more active citizen.