Of the many agencies in a city, a department of public works (DPW) isn't usually the flashiest or most interesting. In San Francisco, however, under the leadership of Ed Reiskin, the DPW has taken the lead on a number of high profile projects like Pavement to Parks plazas and parklets and the Market Street trials, thrusting the agency's work in front of the cameras and into the public view.
To complement the many projects the agency is working on, it has significantly redesigned its website, from a sometimes difficult-to-navigate beast to a user interface that's more intuitive and helps the public navigate the many projects affecting city streets and public space. It's not exactly corporate, but it certainly improves upon the former iteration.
If you've been reading us for a while, you know that DPW is one of
the agencies most significant to your perception of the streets and one of the best at responding to 311 service requests for such things as fixing potholes on cycling routes, so streamlining their information flow to the public is no small matter.
Some of the new features on the website worth noting include an interactive map that allows users to read about projects that are happening in their neighborhood and around the city, better navigation and quick links to access specific services, permits and to make service requests, a video streaming component, and because its San Francisco and we know of Mayor Newsom's penchant for tweeting, the obligatory social media portal where users can interact with the department and
receive regular updates in real time.
"Public Works is a 24 hour a day, seven days a week operation and we
hope this new site will allow residents to conveniently access a broad
range of information and services we provide," Ed Reiskin, Director
of the DPW, said in a statement. "Whether you’re accessing the
internet from your home, business, or handheld device, this new Web site
will provide streamlined information relevant to the needs of San
Franciscans."
The DPW welcomes your feedback about the newly designed website, which you can provide in their online survey by visiting www.sfdpw.org. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
