Executive Director Karen Lightman talks solving real world problems with public data
Metro21’s Executive Director Karen Lightman was interviewed about Metro21 projects and at the Annual Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) Conference this May. Karen spoke about the importance of access to good, digitized data for stakeholders and decision makers. She discussed the various ways in which Metro21 is assisting Pittsburgh and other cities interested in increasing efficiency and ensuring public access. Using the Metro21 model of centralizing Pittsburgh’s building inspection data, for example, the city was able to better prioritize which buildings were most in need of improvements and how to best address their damages. Overall, Karen emphasized the need for coordination around community needs, and the important role of using public data to solve real world problems.