Charlottesville City Council unanimously adopted a resolution in support of open data at its meeting on Monday.
The resolution calls on the city manager to develop an open data policy for Charlottesville. With this step, the city joins numerous other cities who have taken a forward-thinking approach to data, transparency, and innovation.
From its efforts working with city staff and council to research this type of resolution to its open letter on open data, Smart Cville has advocated for open data in the region since its formation as an organization. Believing strongly in open data’s ability to empower civic innovators, Smart Cville sees this as the major step toward leveraging technology to help solve public problems. Smart Cville has been a strong advocate for this type of policy in the city for some time. “We recognize the power of open data to unleash economic, political, and social benefits for this city. I’m thrilled to see Council’s leadership on this issue and believe it is an important step to helping organizations, individuals, and government use technology to make our region an even better place to live,” said Lucas Ames, Founder of Smart Cville.
The demand from businesses, organizations, and individuals looking to leverage data is robust. From a bustling start-up scene to the Data Science Institute at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville is fertile ground for leveraging open data. “I constantly meet with other nonprofit leaders and citizens who want to know how to get this data or that data for their work. With the city moving toward by-right and machine-readable data, I’m hopeful that these needs will be served in a way that facilitates community improvement,” said Ames.
The movement toward open data also contributes toward a sense of transparency and accountability in local government. “As analysis and insight emerge from open data, it will hopefully lead to better local governance for all,” said Jim Duncan Realtor with Nest Realty and Smart Cville Board Member.
Smart Cville is a 501(c)(3)-designated, non-profit organization committed to promoting public discourse on municipal government, collaborating with Charlottesville-Albemarle regional municipalities to promote forward-thinking development and management, and partnering with like-minded organizations to make open data work, support innovations in infrastructure, and participate in progressive and thoughtful planning. Find out more at http://smartcville.com.
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