NYC City Council To Discuss Open Data Standards

The New York City Council Committee on Technology will hold another open discussion later this month. This time the session will discuss open data standards for city data. From the city announcement, “This bill, Introduction 029-2010 (formerly Intro. 991-2009), is an effort to increase government transparency and facilitate easier access to public data.  Beyond the ‘good government’ benefits of this legislation, the bill will also unlock City data to enable web developers and entrepreneurs to interact with City government in new and unforeseen ways.  Data published under this legislation will be readable by any computer device, whether that is a laptop or a phone, for innovative developments.  This Gov 2.0 inspired transparency legislation, targets application developers, startups, small businesses, and academics with the ultimate goal of strengthening the connection between government and the public, while re-energizing the small business-tech sectors.”

“Furthermore, the data requirements of Int. 991 would publish data in formats allowing the tech community to interact with City government in a new and exciting manner.  Just imagine looking at a restaurant’s ratings (and violations) on your computer or mobile device based on your search or GPS location.  On the academic side, students can research legislation and statistics instantly.  Open access to information ensures government accountability to provide the most detailed and user-friendly data format, while maintaining user privacy. Essentially, government transparency generates greater collaboration between the people and the government, as it fosters awareness for the local community.”

The group should talk with the MTA about their efforts to pull in developers and how they are handling open data. I think the MTA is doing a great job in this area and there’s really no reason for the city to spend the time to “discuss” when the city could spend the time to “do”.

The discussion will take place at 250 Broadway which is next to City Hall on June 21. You can find out more details along with the links to apply to testify on the city council blog.

Here’s hoping more comes out of this discussion than the one I sat through late last year discussing how the city can help tech startups.

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