About Us
Establishment
2013
Projects
30+
Partners
40+
Kathmandu Living Labs (KLL) is a pioneer civic-tech enterprise. It was founded in 2013 to further the OpenStreetMap (OSM) movement. KLL believes in harnessing the power of open-source technology for improving the lives of people. We aim to challenge the status quo of the knowledge production paradigm, in which a vast majority of the people in the world are excluded.
KLL has built and sustained OSM communities of thousands of people from Nepal and countries across Asia. The organization’s work spans across diverse sectors, including climate change and resilience, youth development and skill-building, civic engagement, map-based surveys, and digital governance. KLL has built and sustained a community of thousands of volunteers, partners, and supporters that spans across the globe.
Our work in numbers
30+
projects
40+
organizations
5000+
people involved
200+
events
How we began
The foundations for KLL were laid in a project that predates KLL. In 2012/2013, a team mapped all the schools and health facilities in Kathmandu valley, and open the database for public access through OpenStreetMap. The data would primarily be used by the World Bank for assessing earthquake vulnerability of these buildings, but because that data was open, it could potentially be used by any other individuals or institutions for any purpose they deem fit. KLL was later formed by these team members because we believed such ‘work once, and put to multiple creative uses’ should be the new, effective model of development.
Our Values
01
Not Merely Technology, Civic Technology
The social, political, and cultural circumstances surrounding the adoption of technology projects are often overlooked in the excitement of creation. At KLL, we attend to the intricacies in which users use our product to make it truly impactful.
02
Open Data and Open Source Technology
We are open source and open data enthusiasts. Our work is guided by the principles of open source philosophy.
03
Local Yet Global
Our work has been deeply immersed in communities while we leverage the best of global practices and innovative knowledge to help address local issues. Our partnerships are truly global, and we have been able to engage the best scholars, innovators, and institutions from all over the world.
04
Transform Lives
We are careful not to take on technology/data projects just because it’s a cool thing to do. Technology should serve the real needs on the ground and touch people’s lives. We spend a lot of time questioning our own work. In a lot of cases, we reflect on the actual impact of our work and are often the first to admit that not all of our work has been successful.
Our Mission
To transform lives by bringing data, technology and people together.
17
awesome people at KLL
Our Team
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Contact Details
1474 Lamtangin Marg, Chundevi
+977-1-4720136
contact@kathmandulivinglabs.org
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