Open Data for Regional Planning: Technical and non-technical issues
P. Leclerc, R. E. Sieber, M. Burchfield
Our co-presenter, Marcy Burchfield
Open Data
the idea that certain data should be freely available
to everyone to use, reuse and republish as they
wish, without restrictions. Data should be collected
as close to source as possible, as current as
possible, allow for automated processing, available
to anyone, free of restrictions, proprietary formats
and without licenses, patents, copyright.
Open data has multiple audiences: private and
public sectors, citizens and social entrepreneurs
Regina Open Data Portal
And the data looks like this...
And this.
It’s also about people -->
Why OD?
Apps for
Transit
Why OD? Citizen Engagement
Why OD? Economic Development
Geothink: A grant exploring Open Data
Over the next five years, 26
researchers and 30 partners
will explore how locationbased technologies, citizen
generated content, and
government open data may
transform the way Canadian
cities and citizens
communicate with each other.
More Information?
http://www.geothink.ca. This
$5.7million grant is funded by
Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council
Partnership Grant Program
and generous contributions
from grant partners.
The City of Regina is our main
municipal partner. Also
Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto...
Why Open Data
for regional governance and planning?
Opening data in the regional planning
context enables sharing and collaboration
among agencies and engaged stakeholders.
Regional planning allows for a common
vision in the coordination of activities (e.g.,
transportation, water management, urban
expansion and greenbelts). Opening data
can assist not only in the development of a
regional plan but also buy-in of the common
vision.
Impetus for Neptis Geoweb
In the Toronto region (made
up of over 100 lower-, upperand single-tier municipalities),
municipal official plans must
conform to not only the
Provincial Policy Statement
but also a Provincial Growth
Plan.
We scanned and digitized
the future urban
settlement area to create
a single regional data set.
Challenges, Marcy
Pie-chart means non-technical challenges outweigh
technical challenges, e.g.,
Integrating data requires a framework to be in place
It follows historical relations-- municipalities, region,
province, development industry, NGO stakeholders...
Boundaries may be fuzzy, yet the technology makes
them discrete
Open data can reveal the warts
Challenges, Renée
Opening data reveals the good, the bad
and the prospective
Open data exists within legal regimes of
Intellectual Property, liability and privacy
Open data exists in a political economy.
Use data to plan but data itself has a value
Open data enables citizen engagement
Challenges, Philippe
Setting the data free
Obtaining the standards
o collecting and delivering data
o creating an apples to apples comparison
Conclusion
Open data is a paradigm shift. Data that once was the means to the ends of planning now has its own
economic and social value.
There are multiple benefits and costs. Main take-away is that OD must be built into SOP but it can
provide great value for a more open regional planning and governance process.
Final thoughts from the presenters.