4 Major U.S. Cities Publish Data for All to See

A new platform from the U.S. government serves as a central location for Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle to share their municipal data.

1 minute read

August 3, 2012, 6:00 AM PDT

By Akemi Leung


Want a list of basketball courts in Seattle? What about progress report cards for Chicago's public schools? Now you can find this and several other pages of data about Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York all in one portal: Cities.data.gov. The federal government and the participating cities are hoping that citizens will use the data to build apps and other pieces of technology to help "improve the quality of life in local communities."

Even though the platform already has over 10,000 sets of data, San Francisco's CIO, Jon Walton promises that there is more to come from the City by the Bay. He and other CIOs from Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle hope that other city leaders will join in and add their data sets to the website.

With the creation of this platform and other sites such as Usaspending.gov, Noelle Knell thinks that the federal government is improving its transparency and is inspiring local governments to share their data as well. She speculates, "The multi-jurisdictional nature of the data on Cities.data.gov site could help further break down compartmentalized public-sector thinking, helping erase distinctions between government entities that are far less relevant to the public."

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 in Government Technology

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

2 hours ago - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

3 hours ago - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

4 hours ago - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.