City of San Diego makes 44 sets of data available to public
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — The City of San Diego launched its open data portal last Friday. It has loads and loads of data on how the city is being managed.
Right now, there are 44 sets of data that is easily accessible to the public on frequently requested information.
Each dataset, say code compliance for example, lists all complaints and a record of how they are being handled.
This information is automatically updated so the public gets reliable and timely information.
Here’s how it works. The open source portal website is data.sandiego.gov.
- Scroll down to browse data sets.
- We’ll use "Code Enforcement Violations" for example. Click on cases for the past six months.
- Click on preview at the right
- Then click on map box at the upper left.
- Select an icon and a page of information will pop up with a history of the case, who, what, where and why.
Up until Monday, the city had been behind the curve in releasing data for greater transparency.
The portal gives residents a better understanding of what the city does and how it uses the various forms of data to run the city.
There’s a lot of other data and metadata you may not understand or need to, but it’s useful for software developers and engineers to create apps that everybody can use freely.
"giving our local tech community the ability to leverage that data to build apps to build other things so people can then use to maybe start new companies or generally improve people’s access to their government," said Mark Kersey of Council District 5.
San Diego looked at how other cities targeted software developers and citizens who are going to use the data in apps.
Maksim Percherskiy is the city’s chief data officer.
"we try to make the data the best it can be for those people, we also tried to make sure that its accessible to the average non technical user," Percherskiy said.
"whether they’re going to use it to create an app or if their just looking to see what’s going on in their neighborhood on a variety of topics whether its infrastructure, traffic or crime or whatever they’re going to able to do that right now with this," he added.
The portal launched 44 data sets with more to come. It’s relatively easy to use and it will transform the data into information you can use.
"the data the city has, which we have lots and lots of data, from traffic to parking to crime to housing and infrastructure that ultimately belongs to the people," Kersey said.
Again the website is data.sandiego.gov. It not only gives you information, it also allows you to send the city feedback.
