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Quick Overview:
Tidepools is a re-skinnable collaborative mobile mapping platform for gathering and sharing hyperlocal information and culture through expressive, community maps and data feeds, enabling greater connectivity and communication among neighbors and local organizations.

Tidepools bridges the digital and physical space of a neighborhood, storing its data on local servers and broadcasted over WiFi so it can run even without reliance on an Internet connection. It integrates location-specific civic data in situ, including real time transit notifications and community safety issues. Community members can share events, user-created map layers and landmarks, and other local temporal information, creating a historical geospatial community database.

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Wireless mesh networks provide low-cost, shared Internet access to communities. Socially engaged users on these interconnected devices are also more resilient against threats that cripple centralized communication infrastructures, like censorship and natural disaster. For long term use, community networks need ritualized, face to face interaction between residents and localized incentives. Working with the Red Hook Initiative and OTI at New America Foundation, Tidepools is tailoring custom social software, based on local needs and interests of the Red Hook Housing Projects - in a remote area of Brooklyn, with little WiFi and Internet access primarily through Android phones and computer stations.

Visually inspired by local artwork, this "Ushahidi" meets "The Sims" hyper-local mapping web app is delivered to mobile and desktop devices through meshed WiFi routers. In this way, Tidepools augment communication and civic awareness from the ground up, through modular, user-generated population of maps.

Tidepools evolved over months of community meetings, brainstorming sessions and feedback through a forum on the WiFi network. Creating and sharing custom maps emerged from the desire to plot Alerts of where police Òstop and frisksÓ were occurring. Broken building signs led to integration of the Open311 civic reporting tool. Bus arrival alerts came from the sparse, inconsistent public transportation in the area. Spreading awareness of locations and times of Upcoming Meetings & Events soon followed.

Master's Thesis Project by
Jonathan Baldwin

Red Hook Footage
Becky Kazansky

Red Hook Initiative: Primary Collaborator
Tony Schloss

Community Change Workers
Khadija Toni Jones-James, Reg Flowers, Daniel Aiken,
Carlos Viveros, Alisa Pizarro, and Nyoka Acevedo

Youth Radio Group
Nykia Williams, Shakima Hayes, Jocelyn Rivera, Charlene Pratt,
Jazz-hane Wade, Tabitha Roman, and Mohammed Martinez

Additional Individuals
Anthony Fatato, Azula Crawford, Tiwan Burrus


For
Parsons, the New School for Design,
Design + Technology Dept.

Thesis Instructors
Scott Pobiner, Sarah Butler

Thesis Advisor
Liz Barry

Additional Video Segments from:

"MTA NYCT Bus"
Allen1628famm
youtube.com/watch?v=Hs30psV9g7w

"How to use MTA Bus Time"
MTA info
youtube.com/watch?v=eIBcn3tCLMg

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