Organisations and city authorities need to share data to make the most of it.
Organisations in cities collect many types of useful data, including data about:
- places (geospatial data) and things like traffic lights and public transport
- services (like transport timetables and service opening hours)
- physical assets (like building ownership, or IT system documentation)
- vulnerable people and their needs (for example NHS or police data)
- addresses and information about development plans
Ways to share data include:
- in person (at meetings or events)
- in print
- via physical media like USB sticks or DVDs
- privately over the internet
- on a website in an open format with an open license
- using an application processing interface (API)
- using a third party that can offer additional services and analytics
Case study – CityVerve Manchester
CityVerve uses Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to improve city services. IoT refers to a network of devices including vehicles, appliances, and other technology that can collect data and share it with other devices in the network. If you have a smart speaker connected to a lamp in your home, then that is an example of the Internet of Things.
CityVerve focused on 4 main themes:
- culture and public spaces
- health and social care
- energy and the environment
- travel and transport
It created a ‘platform of platforms’ that allowed the city and other organisations to access multiple sources of data with controlled access. This enabled them to analyse data from different sources, fostering collaboration and innovation.
Outcomes
The project has:
- changed the usual relationship between a public body and its suppliers from customer/vendor to collaborate partnership
- broken down barriers by connecting different sources of data, which has led to new and solutions that wouldn’t be possible if the data were kept separate
- brought new ideas via collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
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