City of Toronto - Improving Recreation Management System

Hello,

I can't emphasize how exciting this could be -- please work toward making it so that the registration system works via an API, for which you can allow third-parties to easily apply for access. This is not to say that you don't build your own registration system, but that you first build the API, then build your own system on top of that. After your own launch (or before?), you allows others access to build their own re-imagining of the system. Yes, the city would be giving up some control of the process, but you would free up any interested students and civic tech enthusiasts to create their own registration systems, free of cost.

I know of no precedent for this in any other city, and the city of Toronto would definitely get some good PR from this approach. It's truly a step toward a City as a Service.

If you allow a simple and non-bureaucratic process for developers to obtain an API access key, then you can still review and restrict apps that perhaps violate how you'd like sign-up to work (ie. you can revoke their access). But of those that you allow to continue, you give developers the latitude to create some interesting concepts.

Many folks will step up if given the opportunity to create something that will get lots of attention. Even if citizens don't always make the very best registration website or app, the city will still be participating in giving citizens an opportunity to learn and do meaningful work related to their city. Imagine letting high school kids design their own registration system! I have no doubt that some enterprising child will do just that.

Best,

Patrick

patcon/README.md