Expert panel on what is an open city: emerging trends, scaling opportunities, strengthening networks.
Moderator: Antonio Moneo-Laín (IADB)
Barbara Ubaldi, OECD
Open data needs cities because cities know who the local actors are.
Because open data is about action.
Networks of cities — within the country or at the international level — are very important.
Jean-Noé Landry, Open North
How do we reconcile the opportunity of open data with the resilience of cities.
Most of the global open data movement has been led by citizens, nonprofits, etc. How can local governments empower these actors?
It is important what happens before data is released, what are the ethics behind making data available.
Where does the demand come from? Who has the means to ask for data? We have to look into that carefully.
Stephen Larrick, Sunlight
How do we scale local open data programmes and make them global (and sustainable)?
Risk-aversion can be “medicated” by showing that your programme works in another place.
Open formats also help to connect with other actors, to scale up.
If open data is not only about data but about decentralization of democracy, about engagement of the citizen, then this ethos has to be included in the very design of any open data initiative.
We have to link engagement to specific needs. Start with the needs of citizens, not with open data.
Dinand Tinholt, European Data
How do we make open data a priority?
Build upon what others are doing.
It is important that there also is an economic insight in open data. It may not be very “sexy” but it is important to bring in companies that will use open data for profit, as they contribute to make the system sustainable, to foster demand and to maintain it live.
