City Launches Interactive Mapping Tool

By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 16, 2011 1:30PM

Mayor Emanuel's office launched another new website this morning. City Hall in Your Community is an interactive mapping too that, according to Mayoral Social Media Director Kevin Hauswirth, is "another way we are increasing accountability and transparency across City government - Chicagoans can literally see what their government is doing and where."

Here's how it's ostensibly is supposed to work. Say you want the mayor or your alderman to tour a stretch of street in your ward that's torn up with potholes, or there's a stretch of abandoned homes that need upkeep, as examples. You can put in a request to have one of the mayor's department heads or an alderman to take a look at it and (hopefully) act upon it. The interactive map also shows residents that the mayor's office hasn't been letting the grass grow under its collective feet.

There's a separate email address for residents to request an official invitation for Emanuel.