The 4-Step Framework for Open Data and Smart City Initiatives

The Open Government Partnership has seen a significant increase in countries participating, with 70 countries involved in 2016 compared to just 7 in 2011. Despite this growth, evidence of open data's impact remains limited to only a few countries. Open government data is used in many daily activities, such as searching for weather information or navigating public transportation, but its global impact is still not fully understood. The use of open data can lead to increased citizen engagement and civic tech innovation, particularly in smart city initiatives. However, the lack of statistical evidence on its measurable global impact remains a challenge. The history of open data dates back to the late 1950s, with the emergence of data wranglers who cleaned and reissued raw data for popular use. Today, many government agencies release hundreds of thousands of datasets every year, but only a handful make it into consumer experiences in any meaningful way. Leaders in the open data and smart city movements, such as New York City and Mexico City, have put location intelligence at the center of their initiatives, enriching their data with geospatial information and visualizing location data to discover hidden patterns and correlations. Real-time analysis of location data is also crucial for cities to respond quickly to citizens' needs. Ultimately, the time has come to deliver on the promise of open government data at a global level, making governments transparent, accountable, and responsive to citizens.