parts of a repository

mumbaiopendata.org is a task compiling #mumbai information and data. Built over time and projects the repository makes available content which are referenced for various city-based exercises. This post is an explanation of bits making up the site. What follows is a brief description of events or ideas tested for against development of the space and explanation of the two parts. Its, primary domain is linked on Tumblr. Links from the left navigation, between institutions to etc, is located on google sites. What these, Tumblr and Sites, contain in the majority are references to secondary sources, information, and data used for city projects. Sites is considered the main repository while Tumblr visualizes material which can be accessed. Based on received reactions a more consolidated platform should be drawn out, hopefully, making up for navigational errors in data accessed.

To begin is to state the selection of both platforms for the repository is based on an ongoing parallel project in the study of platforms and available services which enable publishing content on-line without the use of any code. Process testing of content management systems are essentially the various iterative stages of the space. Blogs by default are the earliest mediums via which content is published. To be published is to locate one’s content at a designated custom virtual location. Default go to service for research projects thus become blogs. Via subsequent posts, either sporadic or systemic updates it becomes easier to keep track of research progress. The choice for Tumblr is just a result of simplicity it presents over rest of other platforms such as Blogger, WordPress, and LiveJournal. Every platform comes with its respective idiosyncrasies which need catering to. (wherestreetshavetwonames) wshtn and culturalprecincts have been the earlier two iterations for the space. Stages haven’t been seamless, therefore, a tedious task of reassembly performed. Not particularly a smart move to anyone attempting the process. What a blog format brings is methods to dole varying type of content as series of posts. Following this principle every 10 posts on a page concentrates on a specific subject of city information. As information groups, goals of testing on the platform is to locate unit knowledge template. Moving on from posts are pages which give additional information. These pages are ‘CONTENT’ _ which details a bit of project history, ideas of this section of the text and ’ABOUT’ _ a description of rest of the links below it, with added text on project goals and the like.

Moving on from Tumblr as a space, testing a specific information ordering format is enabled at a group of nine silos. These are positioned as the template to receive a probable variety of material. Sites are part of the google app infrastructure and its application is in hosting notes and documents within an internal group. Though for a single site to work as a primary domain is possible it’s only enabled at a dedicated app account. An unfortunate inconsistency is the result of this present content distribution framework. The primary stage for the content, its linked secondary, essentially a make do to a degree. Nine content silos heads are arrived at a result of concluding research from the 2011 - ‘12 KRVIA Research Fellowship. To summarize, conclusion of the findings is that all information on the city could be broken down based on again two distinct sets as per their origin and type of information. These broad two give rise to a nine-part framework of urban content ordering. Beginning with INSTITUTIONS _ are organizations and agencies producing content on the city. They are other city resource locations, non-government organizations which are engaged in working at various capacities. Objects in the catalog are considered producers or in some cases consumers of city knowledge products. PROJECTS _ therefore, are outcomes from these institutions or stand-alone acts. Products from all these city resource locations, personnel, non-government organizations are listed. It may not be possible at this instance to relate institutions and projects at this instance. Focus more is on getting all the popular and working tasks in place and later these built upon. Similar to institutions BLOGS _ tries and locates all individual writing engagements on-line. These would remain specific to content disseminated via either stock or custom blogging platforms where a majority of the material published could be attributed to the city and its region. READS _ in principle, can share similar mandates as institutions is to projects. Reads is a list of writings on the city. When blogs are not in a position to completely catalog all texts on the city, reads looks into key texts available on-line, those purposely strewn around and needs collation. DATA, MAPS, REGULATIONS, IMAGES _ are all to be considered information types. Data is tabular and other visualized information of the city. Maps are documents representative of the city, region geography. Regulations assist area and building development activities. Images, all forms of visuals and narratives generated are collected under this head. This section of content are all material which to a degree built city projects or can be used to make additional ones over time. ETCS _ deal with miscellaneous bits of information which fail to slot in any of the above categories. These could range from phone applications to some product designed by city-specific graphics to themed areas in the city. By their varied presence, these in the list build their identity from places or the region at large.

To claim a city/ region repository at this edition is a space introduced in the form of a modified blog and content distributed under an ordering framework. A definition of this kind is a method derived out of a culture of urban engagement and can be understood in that light. In compiling, more in essence creating a bibliography of sorts the repository works in a context of is several other popular tasks which either as institution or self-sustained exercises are known, mostly recognized, centers of city information. What they contain is larger material in comparison with other city-specific information or dataset. All these sites haven’t specifically claimed any aspiration as a city resource location but can be recognized as such. Government data links are at present the largest and a result of project deliverables. MMRHCS Heritage Information System a searchable database containing all listed structures commissioned by the society in all parts of the Metropolitan Region. Documents for review for the MCGM Development Plan 2014 - '34 publishes city-specific maps and ward information for review at the moment as the draft plan. On the MCGM website, this is one of the locations several other sporadic content can be availed but are distributed all over the site which in itself can be tasked as a separate exercise. Karmayog’s Mumbai page has been one of the earliest city information sites but as of now stands almost frozen in time. City architecture firms of RMA Architects and PK Das & Associates have over several city projects and engagements created a body of work which takes its own respective form as displayed by the authors. The next set of links are mostly working tasks and aspires within their mandates to aim for an encompassing city information center. UDRI Resource Center contains a substantial physical library, but attempts in sustaining their virtual catalog have been patchy. Upload of GIS datasets too is only a rumor at the moment. KRVIA’s City Resource acts like a brochure to their GIS workshop. Potential of space and platform being tested needs its gestation period to pursue any comment on the exercise. Mapping pursuits of Jitendra Shah, Ronak Sutaria and Shekhar Krishnan like the KRVIA task are both at idea stage with mandates just about being laid out.

Criteria of recognizing these sites with the anticipated use of information, data are considered against architecture, urban design, and urban planning exercises in the region, thus the city. Construction of knowledge in the fields is definitive to those familiar to it. As a result of which references, structures and impending information all are taken for granted that they are used as per known prescribed project formats. What the repository tries to recognize is that unlike the previous decade an abundance of city content exists, therefore, these are to be referenced so as to build over them as ideas, instead of repetition of projects. Or so is the aspiration. Availability also makes one aware of previous work such that those scrutinizing it, such as educators, can take informed views on what suggestions can be proposed. It not so much about the availability of information anymore but an urgent need to look at alternate ways to analyze existing content creating an urban knowledge bank. Additionally newer areas of engagement which seem absent in discussions on the city be considered.