Organizations invest resources to gather geographical information about cities or neighborhoods. This can help governments or companies identify needed services or city improvements. However, collecting this information can be difficult and expensive. In this study we investigate ways to motivate local crowds to serve as the world's sensors and provide geographical data about their surroundings. We conduct interviews and a pilot study to understand whether we can motivate people to contribute data about their neighborhoods via games or for the greater social good of helping the neighborhood. Our results provide a glimpse of how people feel about donating neighborhood data given different motivators; they also provide insight into the amount of data people are willing to contribute. We conclude by discussing possible design implications of our findings.

Wood represents a form of renewable energy that is widely available. In rural Mexico it represents the main source of energy. It is used not only for cooking, but also to heat houses, and to provide lighting. Most Mexican villagers use wood via stoves, however these appliances usually bring health hazards and are harmful for the environment. Due to these problems new technologies, such as efficient stoves, have been implemented to bring better combustion, reduce amount of smoke, and overall make the transfer of heat more efficient. However, the social adoption of efficient stoves is non-trivial. Our study shows how making efficient stoves follow the guidelines of appropriate technology, we can: 1) successfully understand the cultural and social aspects of how villagers use renewable energy; 2) design technology that by considering a region's traditions, is used long term.