The work started from making a vision for a neighbourhood communication platform, and ended up in creating the version 1.0 of a mobile application – GeoNotes – for documenting and commenting local information.

The general idea is that anyone using this app can take a photo, write a short comment and upload it to GeoNotes. The note will be located in correct location on a map, and other users can see and comment the notes.

The general idea of this kind of technical solution isn’t totally new, but what makes it unique is the way how it can be used. Three partners of Caddies project have all been actively part of the development process. And because all partners have different backgrounds and needs, the application was created on a way that enables several kinds of uses. For instance in Hyresbostäders organization the vision is to use this application as a part inhabitant feedback system.

In a vision people living in Hyresbostäder’s apartment can e.g. take a picture of a broken door to stairway, and send it as a feedback to Hyresbostäder. Then personnel working with this kind of issues can answer when and how the door will be fixed. The whole discussion/information will be available for the whole community, so the neighbor doesn’t have to make the same announcement when he notices that the issue has already been noticed. In other possible user stories the GeoNotes application could be used as a tool for documenting local events or for sharing information about interesting places in the neighbourhood.

The GeoNotes 1.0 will be tested in all three cities with small test groups, and during Towards Empowered Neighbourhods seminar, 20^th of October in Norrköping, even seminar participants can test it. So far the development of GeoNotes has been done in close co-operation with three partners, but after these test phases each partner has free hands to start a more customized development phase focusing on specific local needs.