Tech Events | May 2017

We can’t believe it’s already May! Jump into the spring season with us at these top events in the Bay Area this month:

May 3City Trivia Night

City Trivia Night is back! Six themed rounds of searing questions relating to cities, architecture, urban planning and policy make this event the ultimate showcase of urbanist talent and planning geekery. Bring your own team of six or join up with other urbanists at the event to compete for the crown and prizes.

May 3 — Code for San Francisco – Civic Hack Night Project Demo Night

Want to see how volunteers are using technology to tackle hard challenges in San Francisco? Code for SF is hosting a demo night of the projects our members are building.

These volunteers are working to increase voter knowledge, reduce flooding in SF, understand the relationship between demographic and contextual factors contribute to juvenile arrests, and much more. There will be quick presentations (with questions) followed by a social event. See what Code for SF is doing, meet the people building these solutions, and even join a project!

Presenting projects include:

  • Adopt-a-Drain SF
    Reduce flooding by keeping storm drains clear
  • WeVote
    Helping voters vote their values, and encourage their friends to vote.
  • SF Crime Data
    Reduce paper public records requests made to SFPD, by delivering fast, accurate OpenData in a web browser.
  • Modeling Neighborhood Mobility
    Evaluating how the proximity area of departure point and destination factor in
    vehicle trip decisions and management.
  • Friends of the Urban Forest
    Analyzing new tree inventory data
  • UX Research Group
    Matching new members with project teams based on their mutual interests and skills
  • DSWG Bay Area Homeless Project
    Help homeless service providers understand which programs and services are most effective in leading to permanent housing
  • Understanding traffic fatalities
    Traffic fatalities in the US jumped sharply in 2015 and we’re trying to understand why
  • San Francisco Fire Risk Project
    Help fire departments with their inspection process and inform public of fire risks in their area.

May 4Creating Pathways for Access & Inclusion Through Workforce Development

The Bay Area is a hotbed for opportunity and innovation in the United States today. All around the Bay, companies are innovating and expanding to build the future, and participation in this economy depends on access and opportunity. Join Foundation Center West and the Kapor Center for Social Impact for a Meet Up featuring organizations that work to bridge the access gap and create a more inclusive workforce that represents the entire Bay Area.

May 8-10 Smart Cities Silicon Valley Conference

Building on the success of the Smart Cities Council’s annual conference held each fall in Washington, D.C., Smart Cities Week® Silicon Valley honors the region’s focus on innovation – with an interactive and intimate program tailored to meet the needs of cities in Western North America and the companies helping them prepare for what’s coming next.

May 8-13Digital Inclusion Week

Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) is a citywide initiative comprised of events spearheaded by the San Francisco Public Library. The goal of the program is to promote online access and technology skill-building in efforts to reduce digital disparities in our communities.

Digital Inclusion Week features movie screenings, hands-on classes, panel discussions, a tech expo with resources for seniors and others, a week-long Learning for Action game and raffle, digital device give-aways, exciting keynote speakers and more.

May 9San Jose’s Innovation Road Map

San Jose is taking its “capital of Silicon Valley” title seriously. The city is already implementing the ambitious Smart City Vision, a plan that uses data and tech to promote safety, inclusivity and sustainability—but it’s just one of many projects in the extensive plan that will reinforce the city’s reputation as a global leader in civic technology. Join us to hear how San Jose plans to use innovation to chart a road map for its future.

May 10 — Inclusive AI: Technology and Policy for a Diverse Urban Future

Artificial Intelligence (AI), algorithms that enable machines and systems to automate decisions and processes, shape our daily lives. These largely hidden systems determine how data is gathered, analyzed, and presented directly to us or used to make decisions on our behalf. With rapid global urbanization, AI promises not only to drive progress and increase efficiencies within critical public service areas but also offers the potential to develop new markets and support economic growth. At the same time, AI can exacerbate negative effects when it reinforces social biases and inequalities–whether by design or unintentionally. Far from remaining a “virtual threat,” the consequences of ill-considered algorithms can have damaging effects in the real world.

The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute and Microsoft will host a symposium dedicated to exploring the effects of AI-enabled technologies on labor, law enforcement, and public services. The symposium will highlight AI research and its implementation in the urban environment and will raise questions regarding effects of AI on cultural, social, political and economic inclusion. Leaders from academia, industry, and government will discuss the benefits and risks of AI-enabled technologies for labor markets and urban management, and how to promote development and application of AI while identifying and managing potential risks. CITRIS will present preliminary insights from a study of the role of AI-enabled technologies in urban environments.

May 10, 17, 24, 31Code for San Francisco Weekly Civic Hack Night

Interested in helping San Francisco? You have found the right place! 

Join neighbors, government employees, designers, coders, students and more! Our weekly hack night is focused on civic tech and making government services better in San Francisco. We hack/build and learn together every Wednesday evening.