Data driven project launches in Yorkshire
A NEW project which aims to kick-start a generation of data-driven cities and businesses has launched in Yorkshire.
The Leeds Data Mill project is believed to be the first in the country to bring together open data information from multiple sectors across the city, uniting public, private, and third sector data.
There are currently 50 open data sets on the Leeds Data Mill platform. These include Leeds city centre footfall for the past 10 years by the hour, every fine issued for unauthorised vehicles being in bus lanes, six years of information on every completed roadwork across the city of Leeds, fines issued for unauthorised parked vehicles in on-street locations, completed planning applications for the past five years and road traffic accidents since 2009.
The project has backing from the Cabinet Office’s Release of Data Fund and Leeds City Council and is led by open data expert, Mark Barrett. Barrett previously worked for the NHS and was recently recognised as one of the “50 most innovative people in healthcare” by the Health Service Journal following his creation of ‘GP Ratings’ – the first open data app to reach number one in the iTunes chart.
He said: “Having worked on national datasets for the past five years, it struck me that a significant change in the open data movement would happen at a local level, where people can relate to information about their city. By bringing data together from across Leeds, from multiple sectors, we have created something that can be used by anyone to help improve the city.”
A grant awarded from the Cabinet Office’s Release of Data Fund has enabled the launch of 54 open data sets by the platform’s launch – 35 of which have never been seen before. It is hoped that by summer 2014, more than 100 different open data sets will be available to download by the public, and will be of special interest to anyone who is interested in defining ideas, conceiving solutions and prototyping services that can improve the quality of life in Leeds.
Heather Savory, chair of the Open Data User Group (ODUG) at the Cabinet Office, said: “Leeds Data Mill was one of the projects selected in the first tranche of funding from the Release of Data Fund. This funding round was built on the understanding ODUG has gleaned from its engagement across the data community and from Demand Led Open Data, providing an improved perspective on how to accelerate the use of Open Data to solve some of the key changes which need to be made in our communities and for our nation.
“Bringing Open Data to bear for the benefit of our Smart Cities is a key theme.
The funding for the Leeds Data Mill underscores the benefits which can be realised and I am delighted to see the acceleration already being created in Smart City Leeds.
“I hope that public sector data holders and the Government will see this as tangible evidence that, when the data and the resources are made available, tangible results can be driven out of the Open Data agenda very rapidly.”
Yorkshire Water is the first private sector company to collaborate with Leeds Data Mill and has released four data sets, including an information feed for Yorkshire Water reservoirs and a current incident feed.
Kirstin Hutchinson, data governance manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We are keen explore the possibilities that arise with the Open Data community in the region and we look forward to working with Leeds Data Mill to start to release some of our data and see how this can be used to create new insight and how it can be used with other data to create a rich picture of the local area.”
West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority Metro has also recently pledged its involvement with the scheme.
