ally specific information about a relatively large settlement and life there.

The Essence of the Phenomenon

The purpose of wiki-based websites is to bring together the interests of people living in a particular area and to generate public benefits through the publication of social information.

A city wiki typically provides information on the city’s major businesses, community groups, and professional associations, as well as contact information for state and municipal agencies.

Such subjects often do not meet Wikipedia's notability criteria, as they are of little interest to most readers living outside the community in question; nevertheless, this information is often very useful to local residents and tourists.

Table of Contents (Detailed

Information typically found on city wikis, but which may be irrelevant (or may be relevant) to Wikipedia:

  • Descriptions of public places, such as entertainment centers, cafes, and bars, as well as social services.
  • The owner, business hours, and product selection of a specific store.
  • Statistical information about a specific street in the city.
  • The flavors of ice cream served at a particular local café.
  • Biographies of local politicians, businesspeople, and other well-known figures in the city.

Examples of free encyclopedias

The oldest city wiki is apparently the Open Guide to London. As of October 7, 2010, the largest city wiki is that of the German city of Karlsruhe—it contains more than 21,000 articles and 16,000 photos.

In Russia, there are city-level (which often also serve as regional) wikis in Smolensk, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk, Kirov, Cherepovets, and Arsenyev.

In Ukraine, there are city wikis for Kherson and Crimea.

References

See also