Rasmi Elasmar
2022 Urban Tech Fellow
Advancing the vision and practice of developing digital public infrastructure by the people, for the people.
Rasmi is a researcher interested in guiding the use of technology in government to better serve the needs and values of the public. His areas of focus include improving the delivery of government services and benefits to residents, and leveraging data as a mechanism for transparency and accountability of public institutions.
Rasmi currently works at Google.org, where he helps organize and manage pro bono technical projects in support of community organizations and governments. He lives in New York City and holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Columbia University. Rasmi is among the top 1% of Citibike riders by number of stations visited.
Project Description
The ability of government to effectively serve the needs of the public depends in part on government’s ability to design, develop, and leverage digital tools that center those needs. Well-functioning digital infrastructure enables the fulfillment of key public services, from housing assistance, to benefits delivery, to public health initiatives, all of which are essential to supporting the most vulnerable members of society.
However, much of our existing digital infrastructure is designed, developed, and operated by corporations that are driven primarily by profit-seeking, which is often misaligned with the needs and values of the communities that the government is meant to serve. What would our digital infrastructure look like if it was designed by the people, for the people, reflecting democratic principles of governance, accountability, ownership, and public benefit? How can such infrastructure support and enable policies of social justice and equity?
This work aims to understand the current landscape of infrastructure underlying public service delivery in New York City and develop a vision of digital public infrastructure that begins with the needs of communities and is grounded in practices of public design, development, and ownership.
Rasmi is a researcher interested in guiding the use of technology in government to better serve the needs and values of the public. His areas of focus include improving the delivery of government services and benefits to residents, and leveraging data as a mechanism for transparency and accountability of public institutions.
Rasmi currently works at Google.org, where he helps organize and manage pro bono technical projects in support of community organizations and governments. He lives in New York City and holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Columbia University. Rasmi is among the top 1% of Citibike riders by number of stations visited.
Project Description
The ability of government to effectively serve the needs of the public depends in part on government’s ability to design, develop, and leverage digital tools that center those needs. Well-functioning digital infrastructure enables the fulfillment of key public services, from housing assistance, to benefits delivery, to public health initiatives, all of which are essential to supporting the most vulnerable members of society.
However, much of our existing digital infrastructure is designed, developed, and operated by corporations that are driven primarily by profit-seeking, which is often misaligned with the needs and values of the communities that the government is meant to serve. What would our digital infrastructure look like if it was designed by the people, for the people, reflecting democratic principles of governance, accountability, ownership, and public benefit? How can such infrastructure support and enable policies of social justice and equity?
This work aims to understand the current landscape of infrastructure underlying public service delivery in New York City and develop a vision of digital public infrastructure that begins with the needs of communities and is grounded in practices of public design, development, and ownership.