How to Open and Use Data across Borders: A Citadel on the Move Guideline

 “Open data is data that can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone – subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and share alike.”  OpenDefinition.org

It seems that everyone these days is talking about Open Data and its value to cities and citizens alike, particularly in relation to the creation of innovative new mobile apps that enhance city living and promote tourism. 

Open data has the power to generate powerful economic, environmental, and social value.  As the Open Data Institute argues, Open Data can help ‘unlock supply, generate demand, and create and disseminate knowledge to address local and global issues.’ In addition to releasing social and commercial value, as the Open Knowledge Foundation further argues, Open Data can also help to promote transparency and trust in government as well as increased citizen participation and engagement. 

Despite all the buzz about Open Data these days, however, one hears very little about the practical steps that a city administrator needs to take to open local government data and unleash innovation.  Too often Open Data advocates, for all their commitment and passion, forget that for many cities and towns, especially smaller ones with limited resources, opening and using data is easier said than done.

Citadel on the Move is a project funded by the European Commission that aims to address this challenge by providing cities and towns with simple and easy to use templates and tools to help them open their data and create new applications that can be used and shared across Europe and even around the world. 

The following guidelines are designed to help local government actors kick start their Open Data efforts in 3 easy steps: 

1) open data in an accessible format

2) convert the data into Citadel’s pan-European format and

3) use the Citadel App Generator to create value.