City-TLDs as Urban Infrastructure

PlanningTech Conference

April 8, 2011 @ MIT

By Thomas Lowenhaupt

City-TLDs as Urban Infrastructure

This is a enhanced version of the April 8, 2011 presentation at PlanningTech, a conference

sponsored by the MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

Screens, graphics and text have been added to substitute for

the in-person narration.

About the Presenter40 years in 40 seconds

Undergrad poly sci ~ governmentTransportation planner

Grad school urban planning dropout“Apps” for Cable TV in late 1970s

NYU ITP early 1980sMarketing materials

1992 ← community board member → 20062001 Community Board passes

Internet Empowerment Resolution which says:“Get .nyc”

More on all this.

Internet Empowerment Resolution pointed to advantages to acquiring .nyc TLD.

Recommends its acquisition.

“Get .nyc”Read the full Resolution

2001 thinking on .nyc's role was limited: Revenue Marketing Quality of life

“Get .nyc”

What Happened?

“Get .nyc”

2002 – 2005

no meaningful action by city government

“Get .nyc”

2005 .berlin calls

“If city TLDs are to get ICANN's approval, we need New York's

involvement.”

“Get .nyc”

In 2005 .nyc captured my interest when I saw governance and technology merged within

the .nyc TLD...

..and .nyc ate my life.

“Get .nyc”

In 2006 I joined with some civic activists and technologists to create Connecting.nyc Inc., a NYS not-for-profit.

“Get .nyc”

We advocate for the development of the .nyc TLD as a

public interest resource

“Get .nyc”

This graphic presents an overview of .nyc

governance structure. It was too complex for the 8th

and for here too. See ourGovernance Ecology page.

We advocate for the development of the .nyc TLD as a

public interest resource

“Get .nyc”

“Get .nyc”

Project Status, April 8, 2011

“Get .nyc” Global2004 ICANN gets serious

2008 New TLD Policy

March 2011 .xxx

Late 2011 Application Guidebook???

Cities/Trademark/Generic

Local 2002 - 2005 Nobody interested

2006 - Connecting.nyc as NYS not-for-profit

2009 – City Government: We're doing it!

“Get .nyc” Global2004 ICANN gets serious

2008 New TLD Policy

March 2011 .xxx

Late 2011 Application Guidebook???

Cities/Trademark/Generic

Local

2002 - 2005 Nobody interested

2006 - Connecting.nyc as NYS not-for-profit

2009 – City Government:

We're doing it! But the wrong way

“Get .nyc”The wrong way?

Standard Plan, like .com (and the devil)

v.

Community Plan, perfection (IMHO)

Today, the city's IT agency is leading the acquisition and development effort.

We recommend the Department of City Planning

as lead agency.

“Get .nyc”

There are several reasons to acquire .nyc:

Civic pride

Economic Power

Civic Efficiency

Infrastructure

W H Y ?

Today's focus is Infrastructure

W H Y ?

defined:

the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies)

needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Oxford Dictionaries

Infrastructure …

With .nyc, our focus is on organizational structures.

Infrastructure …

Organizational StructuresCommissioners' Plan of 1811 created NYC's street grid.

The grid facilitated land distribution, made it east to find and get places, and improved health & safety.

Long term planning at its best.

Infrastructure …

Organizational Structures

.nyc is

the city's digital grid.

Infrastructure …

Intuitive NamesNeighborhood Names

Internet of ThingsA Sustainable City

Voters.nycRegional EvolutionA Sustainable TLD

Infrastructure …Seven

examplesof digital

infrastructure presented

The Intuitive City

Good Domain Names are like street signs

e.g. MonasBoutique.nyc~ they help you find things

Short, descriptive,and memorable

Neighborhood NamesLatent Resource

Everybody knows their 'hood. But these are unofficial names.They set real estate rates and

social status..

Infrastructure …

Neighborhood NamesLatent Resource

They've been waiting for .nyc to make them

really useful.

Infrastructure …

Neighborhood Names

As oil became useful with the car...

...neighborhood names will blossom with the arrival of the .nyc TLD.

Infrastructure …

Neighborhood Names

'dot' the neighborhood names e.g. Astoria.nyc, ConeyIsland.nyc

GreenwichVillage.nyc, Harlem.nyc

Use them to improve local communication.

Infrastructure …

Neighborhood Names

Infrastructure …

Local Communication Resource Comparison

Terre Haute, Indiana Jackson Heights

Population 105,000 100,000Television Stations 2 0Daily Newspapers 1 0Radio Stations 8 0

Neighborhood Names

Step 1 = wiki info.

NYCwiki.org

(A joint effort with Wikimedia-NY and Internet Society-NY)

Step 2 = engage, collaborate & decision layers.

Infrastructure …

Add info.Click here

Neighborhood Names

economic development tooleconomic development tool

via local control of commercial communication

Facebook / Patch ~ hyperlocals (money flows out of 'hood)vs.

ParkSlope.nyc (money stays in the 'hood)

Infrastructure …

Internet of Things

Universal Tagging: a name for everything

Internet of Things

Internet of Things

toilets.nycThe

$2,300,000,000Domain Name

Internet of ThingsDo this app. and the city saves $2,300,000,000.

Infrastructure … Sustainable City Name-Set

● Bikelanes.nyc

● Green-Buildi ngs.nyc

● Dematerialization.nyc

● Green-Design.nyc

● Eco-Friendly.nyc

● Greenwashing.nyc

● Ecological-Footprint.nyc

● Recycle.nyc

● Energy-Efficiency.nyc

● Recycling.nyc

● Environmental-Justice.nyc

● Sustainability.nyc

● Geothermal-Energy.nyc

● Sustainable.nyc

● Global-Warming.nyc

● Sustainable-Design.nyc

● Green.nyc

● Sustainable-Development.nyc

● Green-Building.nyc

● Trees.nyc

● Zero-Waste.nyc

What trusted entity can build and sustain

this name-set?

Voter.nyce.g. Thomas.Lowenhaupt.voter.nyc

enables:

● Civic network● Provides a reason to register to vote

Infrastructure …This is my favorite. Click herefor details.

Regional Consolidation

Regional Consolidation

From a tiny village

From a tiny outpost.

Regional Consolidation

To a county.

Regional Consolidation

To today's5 boroughs.

Regional ConsolidationDo the Hoboken.nyc and GreatNeck.nyc

neighborhood names presage a more regional governance structure?

Do we need consolidation to be globally competitive?

How do we assure good names are available

for our children and grandchildren?

A Sustainable TLDHow long must it serve us?

5, 10, 50 … years?

Infrastructure …

The Choice

Sell Names

Patch a budget gap

Create a Great City

Infrastructure

Civic pride

Livable city

Sustainable TLD

Why .nyc?

Plans

Plans.

We need a plan.

Plans We need a

comprehensive plan.

PlansWe have:

● Domain Name Allocation Plan● Cyber Land Use Plan

But these are like Zoning Plans

Plans administrators anthropologists cognitive scientists economists educators engineers geographers gov leaders

health officials journalists psychologists residents safety sociologists transportation urban plannersurban planners

We need all these folks to help make a plan

that will last for generations.

Plans.

Who will help create a plan?

PlansWe've come to

PlanningTech to educate and recruit.

PlansHope presentation added awareness as to the potential role of a city-TLD.

PlansToday we remain volunteer venture.But we do have a prize for those who advance our mission.

Hippodamus Miletus Prize .nyc

An annual award given to the person or organization that most advanced our city's digital grid in the previous year.

Hippodamus Miletus Prize .nyc

An annual award given to the person or organization that most advanced our city's digital grid in the previous year.

Our 2010 winner enjoying his prize: all the dogs and beer he can

consume at Nathans!(plus a free ride there on the F train)

See the fine print.

Contact Points

toml@communisphere.com

http://connectingnyc.org

http://bit.ly/OurWiki

http://bit.ly/OurBlog

Our logo shows the .nyc TLD bridging the old city as

represented by the street grid, and

the web.