NYC PIT Pop Up: CUNY Open Data Takeover Day One

As part of NYC Open Data Week 2026, the CUNY Public Interest Technology (PIT) Lab will host a week-long Open Data Takeover of the NYC PIT Pop-Up at the Oculus / World Trade Center. The activation advances Open Data Week’s goals of accessibility, civic learning, and practical use of open data by bringing open data projects into a highly visible, public-facing space. Attendees can drop in at any time during the hours below for a demonstration of the tool and to speak with the presenter. Most of the demos will also be streamed live from the Pop-Up on its Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/cunypitlab). Inside the Oculus, the Pop-Up is located on the Main Floor C2, in the South Concourse, at Shop #53 (next to M.A.C. Cosmetics). View the full PIT Lab schedule. No RSVP needed, just stop by!

[2pm-6pm]
Sneha Srivastava – What’s Lost in the Waters? Dive into NYC’s Flood Vulnerability Index
The goal of this project is to visualize the variables included in New York City’s Flood Vulnerability Index dataset. The key visualization is a three-dimensional interactive model, mapping the Flood Susceptibility to Harm and Recovery Index against the median household income of each census tract within the city, in addition to maps of future flooding scenarios. As such, the project tackles issues of environmental justice and sustainability, while addressing the policy implications of climate resilience in different neighborhoods.

The Cloud is a Place in Brooklyn
In this speculative design workshop, we ask: What if our data infrastructure lived in our neighborhood parks, schools, or community gardens? What if a data center didn’t just store files, but also used its excess heat to warm a public pool in the winter? What if your neighborhood’s digital history was stored in a “Community Memory Bank” that you helped manage? What if data infrastructure was owned by communities and served community needs?

Apurva Jhamb – Brooklyn Through Data Design : Mapping Place, Power, and Urban Systems
Centered on Brooklyn, the event will showcase a series of data-driven maps and visual narratives created using NYC Open Data datasets related to housing, land use, landmarks, environmental conditions, and neighborhood change. The session will demonstrate how public data when paired with thoughtful design can move beyond technical analysis to become an accessible storytelling tool for communities, planners, designers, and civic technologists.