Public Data Should be Public

The New York Times had an interesting article yesterday about how some local governments are using the internet to make public data more accessible and useful. Once provided with access to government data software developers have been able to use it to, independently, create applications that public agencies simply don't have there resources, or expertise, to undertake.

Via the NYT:

A Web site called CleanScores, for instance, tracks restaurant inspection scores in various cities and explains each violation. After School Special combines data from San Francisco schools, libraries and restaurants so parents can plan after-school activities and see how children’s nutritional options compare by neighborhood. And Trees Near You, available for the iPhone, lets people identify trees on New York streets.

By releasing data in easy-to-use formats, cities and states hope that people will create sites or applications that use it in ways City Hall never would have considered.

San Francisco recently unveiled DataSF, a Web clearinghouse of raw government data that the public can download. The data sets include seismic hazard zones, street sweeping schedules and campaign finance filings. New York City’s Data Mine includes directories of sidewalk cafes, property values, horseback riding trails and historic houses.

Washington was a leader in releasing its data, and the federal government is doing it too at Data.gov.

It would be great if the City of Los Angeles had a centralized data clearing house like San Francisco or Washington DC to provide public data from multiple agencies. The LAPD provides data for their crime mapping site (though at one time the site was suspect). Metro also provides some data to the public through its developer site but, per The Source, apparently the site has not seen much action. Besides those two agencies, there really doesn't seem to be other agencies in the area who are providing raw data for software and web developers to put to good use.

This is a huge missed opportunity for Los Angeles. All the City needs to do is create a simple website to host its data, throw up a couple of disclaimers, and then just sit back and see what happens. It's not like public information is inherently a government secret; as all you have to do is file a California Public Records Act request and the City would have to give you the raw data.

Imagine all the great applications that could be developed. How about an application for recreation programs at nearby public parks, parking restrictions and parking meter rates, street maintenance and repair schedules, bike rack locations, nearby public restrooms, special events, film shoots, or street closures? The list is virtually endless.