This article and interview with Raleigh’s Mayor, Charles Meekor, was published on opensource.com, where we are exploring how the principles of open source are applied beyond technology–to our government, education, and much more. It’s relevant to South West Raleigh because the culture of our creative class embodies the principles of open source–even if some of us don’t call it that. Think Sparkcon, Barcamp, Ignite, etc.
I started pondering what qualities would define an open source city a few months ago when my friend Tom Rabon mentioned it to me one day. I was curious how the city I live in, Raleigh, NC, could attract other open source companies and be the world’s hub for open source and a leader in open government. How could Raleigh be the open source capital of the world, similar to what Silicon Valley is to technology and Paris is to romance?
I think the answer can be found in both the government and the people. Continue reading →