Long Beach OKs Creation of Smart-Phone App to Find Public Art

Residents may soon be able to find any public mural, painting, sculpture or decorated utility box using their iPhone.

On Tuesday, the Long Beach City Council approved a plan to develop a smart-phone application to help people locate the hundreds of public art displays within the city.  

“The city of Long Beach is literally full of great, incredible public art,” said Councilman Robert Garcia, one of the council members who brought the item before council.

Council members said they wanted the application, tentatively-titled “See Long Beach,” to allow smart-phone users to view and download information about, and images of, city artworks and their artists.

“If this application works out, as far as the art component, we would (eventually) be able to look up historical monuments, and historical homes and buildings of significance,” Garcia said.

The plan is for the app to use the phone's global positioning system to give users directions to the nearest public art installation.

Portland and New York City already have a similar type of app.

In the future the program could include art at Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach City College, according to a letter from the three city councilmembers who brought the item to the council.

City council members said that because of the success of the “Go Long Beach” application — a smart phone application that allowed residents to report graffiti, potholes and other neighobrhood issues — they were considering this program.

At least 2,500 cases were reported and closed through that "Go Long Beach" program, according to Councilman Garcia

Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal agreed with Garcia’s sentiment about the newly proposed app.

“I’m very supportive of anything that inspires our residents to move into the public space and support our cultural identity,” Lowenthal said.  

The item was brought before the council by Garcia, Lowenthal and Third District Councilman Gary Delong.

In a unanimous vote, the City Council approved the agenda item 8-0 with Councilman Steven Neal absent.

With the agenda item approved, the city manager will work with the city’s Arts Council to determine the cost and the next steps needed to create the app and report back to the council in 30 days. 

Other business

• The City Council voted to approve a plan to add more low-flush toilets the city.
• Long Beach City will examine the current street sweeping program to see if there are any ways to make it more efficient.
• Council members voted to send a message to the governor and state Legislature urging them "to evaluate each of the recommendations in the Little Hoover Commission and determine the potential benefits associated with them." Earlier, the Budget Oversight Committee had recommended sending a message fully supporting the Little Hoover Commission report, which urges major changes to state- and city-employee pension programs. However, because the city attorney had concerns about "the specificity" of that recommendation, DeLong (who chairs the budget committee) told the Council that the message should "be a little more general."
• Officials recognized April as National Library Month and encouraged locals to visit their local libraries. They also recognized April as National Donate Life Month and encouraged locals to become organ donors.