In the last week or so, we’ve heard a lot about community organizing – with many poignant comments ranging from the role of community organizers historically to the connection between “the difficult work done by community organizers and the pragmatic work of coalition-building done by elected officials.”  I’d like to add a digital perspective to the conversation. Organizing on the web is shaping the American political environment: influencing how people advocate for issues, support political candidates and engage their neighbors – near and far – in the political and policymaking process.

People everywhere, armed with laptops, cellphones, iPhones, Blackberrys and the like, are augmenting the efforts of organizers on the ground, broadening the dissemination of information, and pushing for policy change in really profound and impactful ways.

Care2.com is just one of many sites where online organizing is all abuzz. There’s an activist toolkit - join/start a group, start a petition, write a blog (nice) - to promote your cause; create a poll to gauge what issues people are most concerned about; or browse food & recipes, health & wellness, and healthy home (organizers are just ordinary folks who want to do good and live healthy, afterall).

This site is just one example. What are some other examples of everyday people using the power of technology for social change?

The vast democratization of information is making the tough work of reinvigorating cities and crafting affordable housing policies a little bit easier. A new report released today shows just how powerful detailed, parcel-level data can be in pushing for more inclusive and equitable change in communities.

The parcel-level information many cities now make publicly available can help head off foreclosures, improve vacant lots, build on affordable housing initiatives and integrate neighborhood efforts into a larger regional framework.

PolicyLink senior associate Sarah Treuhaft co-authored the report, “Transforming Community Development with Land Information Systems.” (free download)

“To make the right choices for their neighborhoods, people need the right information,” Treuhaft said. “Detailed, accessible information is critical, whether in the current national foreclosure crisis or ongoing gentrification struggles. With more and better data, we can develop more effective strategies to solve many of the biggest challenges facing America’s neighborhoods.”

The report was also co-authored by the Urban Institute’s G. Thomas Kingsley and released and funded by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Additional Resources:

To read a Net-Squared interview about the convergence of GIS and E-Advocacy, click here.

PolicyLink Community Mapping page

Dataplace

National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership

Northeast Ohio Community and Neighborhood Data for Organizing (NEOCANDO)

Cartographic Modeling Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania

Full Circle Community Mapping and Planning Project

NeighborhoodInfo DC

Minnesota 3-D Project