City of Toronto updates its open data portal, adds new datasets

Itworldcanada.com
Jan. 21, 2020
Buckley Smith

The City of Toronto recently updated its open data portal with new features and data sets.

The newest datasets are “Catalogue Quality Scores”, “Report Request Log -- City Council and its Committees”, and “Apartment Building Registration”, and are accompanied by new features such as user interface improvements, civic issue filters, data quality scores, and civic issue tags.

Launched in the year 2018, the City of Toronto says the purpose of the portal is for anyone and everyone to be able to use and contribute to the data in any way they see fit.

“The City envisions a future where anyone, anywhere, can improve life in Toronto using open data,” said the City in an email to IT World Canada. “We recognize the potential impact open data has to spur economic development, enhance access to public services, engage Torontonians in government decision making, and innovate our approaches to civic problem-solving.”

The datasets fall into five civic issues or categories: mobility, poverty reduction, affordable housing, climate change, and fiscal responsibility.

There are currently 61 municipalities with open data portals in Canada, including such major cities as Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, although these all come with their own varying levels of quality and capabilities.