Cape Town launches open data portal
28 January 2015
Cape Town's new open data portal aims to enhance transparency and accountability, as
well as improve the competitiveness of the broader economy of Cape Town, Mayor
Patricia de Lille said at the launch in the city on Tuesday.
The Open Data Portal, which makes public sector data available to the public at no
charge and in usable formats, is "another bold stride that we are taking to create an
enabling environment which will attract investment that generates economic growth and
creates jobs", De Lille said.
"This is a historic day as we join cities such as New York, London and Helsinki that have
forged the way for cities to make their data sets available to the public," De Lille said.
"In today's knowledge economy, access to data is instrumental in becoming
competitive."
Transparency
The portal, which was approved by council at the end of September 2014, will "enable
innovation, as entrepreneurs are
empowered to use the data to create new
applications", the mayor said. "As a City that believes in transparency, making this data
available will empower residents to hold us accountable."
The public can access the portal via a variety of devices, including mobile phones with
internet connectivity.
So far, 25 data sets have been uploaded. These include the City's budget data; the
location of all district parks, community parks, cemeteries; information on MyCiTi bus
stations and routes; and details about tenders that have been awarded.
A steering committee made up of representatives from various City directorates would
approve data sets for the portal. "We envision that hundreds of data sets will be
available over time," she said.
Legacy
The public are invited to request data they would like to see on the portal, as well as to
share their "thoughts and experiences" of the portal.
De Lille said the portal should be seen
as a legacy product of the World Design Capital
2014: "During our tenure as the World Design Capital, we wanted to find a way to use
design to make government more transparent. As such, our Open Data Portal is the
City's contribution to the World Design Capital 2014 legacy."
SAinfo reporter
(Image: Aurecon)
