Welsh city becomes world’s first “Wikipedia town”

Now known as the world's first "Wikipedia town”, Monmouth aims to use QR codes to link every notable place, person, artifact, plant and animal to a relevant Wikipedia page in as many languages as possible.

There are innumerable ways digital content can enhance real-world experiences, but it’s fairly safe to say we’ve never seen such efforts undertaken on so large a scale as in Monmouth, Wales. Now known as the world’s first “Wikipedia town”, Monmouth aims to use QR codes to link every notable place, person, artifact, plant and animal to a relevant Wikipedia page in as many languages as possible. “Monmouthpedia,” as the project is called, is the first Wikipedia project ever to cover a whole town, and it relies on QRpedia codes to link visitors with relevant articles on Wikipedia. Ceramic or metal plaques are emblazoned with the codes in places that are exposed to the elements and for articles specific to Monmouth; elsewhere, smaller plaques are used. Either way, visitors can use their smartphones to scan the codes and retrieve linked articles in a wide array of languages, though the project’s primary emphasis is Welsh. The project is jointly funded by Wikimedia UK and Monmouthshire County Council, which has committed to installing free citywide wifi to help enable it. The video below explains the premise in more detail: Since the project began six months ago, Wikipedia volunteers around the globe have contributed nearly 500 new articles in over 25 languages; on its official launch earlier this month, some 1,000 QR codes were already in place throughout Monmouth, according to an announcement on the Wikimedia blog. How long before initiatives such as this become a norm around the world? Spotted by: Murtaza Patel