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Why was OpenDataPhilly created?

OpenDataPhilly seeks to improve access to data about Philadelphia, increase government transparency and accountability, drive and encourage innovative uses of the data, and inform citizens about our region's trends.

For several years, municipal governments have sought to improve government transparency by releasing data sets for public use. While the City of Philadelphia made much of its GIS data available nearly ten years ago via PASDA, the Pennsylvania state data clearinghouse, Philadelphia lacked its own a website to provide easy access to a variety of open data sources with a Philadelphia focus. OpenDataPhilly.org is the result of an effort to make data about Philadelphia more readily available.

OpenDataPhilly.org features data sets, applications, and APIs that provide access to useful and significant data on the Philadelphia region. The site enables users to quickly search through available data sets and access links where they can download the data. By increasing access to open data, OpenDataPhilly encourages better and more open government and a more engaged and knowledgeable citizenry.

What types of data are featured on OpenDataPhilly?

While many open data portals include only municipal government data, OpenDataPhilly also incorporates data from non-profits, universities, and commercial organizations in order to give a more complete picture of the data available on Philadelphia.

OpenDataPhilly also includes more than just downloadable data sets. It also includes data-centric web and mobile applications as well as developer-oriented APIs and other structured data feed. The goal is to create as rich and complete of an open data resource as possible.

What were the criteria for including a data set?

Data sets needed to meet several guidelines.

  • Specific to Philadelphia
  • Is available online
  • Is the best source available for the type of data
  • Provides or is based on structured, machine-readable data
  • Contributes to the public good and/or civic engagement
  • Is documented (pertains to downloadable data)
  • Is available on an ongoing basis from a reliable source

We'll continue to use this list of guidelines, and potentially add to it, when reviewing public submissions of data for inclusion in OpenDataPhilly.

What are people supposed to do with this data?

Data on its own is not really helpful. To be truly useful, data needs to be sorted, analyzed, and transformed in new applications, visualizations, and stories. Our hope is that OpenDataPhilly will serve as a portal for users to find data sets that inspire them to connect with the data and creatively imagine how it can be re-used.

What are the restrictions on how I can use this data?

OpenDataPhilly features data that is available to the general public, usually at no cost. We encourage users to access this data and find ways to transform it into creative applications, projects, and visualizations. However, the creator of the original data set, application, or API retains any copyright or intellectual property restrictions they have placed on the data, application, or API. Please check with the originator of the data for questions regarding use and copyright, particularly if your use of the data will result in a for-profit endeavor or is used in a commercial manner.

Are you getting an error downloading geospatial data?

If you receive a 'processing' download message for GIS data, this may be the result of the service providing the data. Please refresh this web page until the file downloads. If you continue to have trouble downloading this dataset, email [email protected].

Who built and maintains OpenDataPhilly?

OpenDataPhilly was built by Azavea, a Philadelphia-based geospatial software firm. Azavea's initial work on OpenDataPhilly was partially done pro bono and partially supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation to TechImpact. A second grant from the Knight Foundation helped support migration and redesign of the application in 2015. The catalog itself is obviously only part of the work. These data sets have been put together through countless hours invested over the course of many years by City staff, non-profit organizations, universities and private citizens. For a partial list of the many contributors, please visit the About page.

The catalog is currently being maintained by volunteers and the City of Philadelphia.

Feedback and How do I contact you?

How do I submit a new data set for inclusion on OpenDataPhilly?

If you have a data set you'd like to have included in the OpenDataPhilly catalog, please email information about the data set, application, or API to [email protected]. Please include as much information as possible so that we can confirm that the data is open for public use and easily accessible.

How do I join the Community?

Open Data Request Procedure

Not all data is currently open data, but that doesn't mean you can't access it. The law allows you make a Right to Know request. Learn who to contact and how to proceed with this Standard Right to Know Form:

Philadelphia Citywide Data Inventory

The city’s Data Services Team began compiling a citywide data inventory - a detailed list of every dataset that exists within city government - to gauge public demand and inform prioritization of data releases. This inventory was never completed, but you can view datasets from the departments that completed this exercise:

What software can I use to process this data?

Where can I find more data?

Data Portal Indexes

Other Public Data Catalogs

We have elected to not include comprehensive state and national data sets that are available through other resources. There are many such catalogs, but a few important ones include:

What other organizations support open data?

We believe that better data about our society and planet will help us both make better decisions and more effectively engage in our communities. These are some of the organizations that promote open data policies and we encourage you to support them: