Shawnee, Oklahoma (population around 30,000) is located just east of the state capitol, Oklahoma City, but it has a personality all its own. You notice it in revitalization efforts like Project 114, involving the restoration of an historic building in downtown Shawnee which will eventually serve as a coffee shop and hub of community art and music. You see it in the brightly painted, life-size fiberglass horses which proudly stand guard at intersections, in front of businesses, and all around Shawnee — archetypes of the Horse in the City project, celebrating public art while fostering a sense of connection between corporations, civic groups, merchants, and citizens.
Municipal leaders in Shawnee strive for the best possible communication and collaboration with residents. To that end, the city maintains a Facebook page, an e-mail update option, and Twitter streams for the City, Police and Fire Departments. Now, citizens can download the YouTown app and check out Shawnee news, events, maps, and services right from their iPhones.
Why they use it:
The prospect of a free platform providing a one-stop solution for an “app presence” was appealing to Shawnee CIO Stephen Nolen. “YouTown will not entirely replace our other mobile efforts,” he noted, “but it can provide a quick app access version for sure.” Nolen also noted that for agencies without mobile websites, YouTown can be “a very easy way to get out there and get information into the hands of the mobile public.” Whether used as the primary vehicle for on-the-go government or as a supplement to other mobile efforts, the platform’s affordability and simplicity make it appealing to a wide range of agencies, from tiny towns to sprawling counties.
Favorite features:
The City of Shawnee has made extensive use of YouTown maps. One of the maps shows recent Police, Fire, and EMS dispatch calls in the area — a very unique idea. This could provide awareness for citizens of crime or danger in their area, and let them know when the issue has been closed or resolved. This also promotes transparency for Shawnee departments as people can view their activities. The map refreshes every 30 minutes. Other city maps include:
- Residential garage sales
- Brush pile removal sites being worked on by the Action Center
- Dead tree removal sites
- City Facilities (like Public Works, the water treatment plant, Exhibition Center, and more)
- Fire Districts (this map actually employs outlines and not just pinpoints)
Plans for the future:
Nolen says that the app has not yet been fully “unveiled” in Shawnee for public use. He explained his plans to “take it a bit further” with even more dynamic maps and information before advertising YouTown heavily to citizens. One goal is for the Horse in the City statues to be inventoried, then listed on a map. Tourists and residents alike have enjoyed spotting the horses around Shawnee, so a mobile map to pinpoint their locations would be a handy tool for enthusiasts intent on visiting them all.
We appreciate Shawnee’s original ideas and helpful suggestions on making YouTown even better. Their creative use of the app is another example of YouTown’s flexibility — its possibilities are as diverse as the communities that use it.
