Why Portland Needs Open Data
Let’s become a landmark city for transparency, equity, and accountability
Imagine a city in constant connection. Imagine a city that’s adaptive, inquisitive, and inclusive by default. Imagine a city not insulated by privilege, and that the same information our leadership uses to make decisions is accessible (and understandable) at the fingertips of every citizen. Imagine a city that admits what it doesn’t know, and looks outward for new solutions.
A few years ago, that was the dream that inspired Portland to lead the charge in becoming an Open Data City with one of the first public transparency resolutions in the nation.
When we made this resolution, we knew it was the first step toward moving government into the 21st Century, but we didn’t know exactly what the roadmap would look like. What we did know is that the world was shifting into a new paradigm of communication and information sharing, and if we wanted to make the leap, we needed to look outward.
Today, our city needs your help to remember our commitment.
The City of Portland is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan, a long-range 20-year plan that sets the framework for the physical development of the city. The first Portland Comprehensive Plan was written and passed in the 1980’s, and although it’s been periodically amended over the years, it’s never been totally rewritten.
Until now.
For our narrative, there are a few things you should know about the Comprehensive Plan:
- The Comprehensive Plan is meant as the framework to guide future of urban development for our city, and thus is focused on — and somewhat restricted to — land use issues.
- It’s a city ordinance, which means it’s the law. Although the framework is a big vision, compiled of broad strokes, and expected to be interpreted and amended over decades — it packs a heavy punch in its power to get things done. Ordinances rank higher than public “commitments” or “resolutions” and have a greater likelihood to lead to change over time.
The theme of the new re-write focuses on issues of affordable housing, homelessness, and neighborhood vitality.
There’s also a tiny clause, nestled in a section about community involvement, that sets broad, but powerful terms for an open data policy that would be one of the most innovative in the nation.
Here’s what it says:
Policy 2.11: Open Data. Ensure planning and investment decisions are a collaboration among stakeholders, including those listed in Policy 2.1. The City works with the software development community, data providers, and other professionals with relevant expertise to advise on open data practices and priorities, ensure oversight, and to maximize the utility of City data sets. Data collected and generated by the City are:
● Publicized, accessible, and widely shared.
● Open by default, in the public domain, freely redistributable, and adhere to open standards. Exceptions may be made due to compelling concerns of privacy, security, liability or cost, and should only be granted in accordance with clearly defined criteria and oversight.
This might seem small, but the concept of linking land use and physical space to open data and digital space has enormous potential to define the next decade of Portland’s commitment to equity and quality of life.
The truth is, we can’t expect to know how a city like Portland will need to respond to the adapting needs of our communities over the next 20 years. If there’s anything we can count on it’s that the internet will be a crucial tool for public engagement and data will continue to deepen into our culture of decision making.
In this little amendment, we’re committing as a city to prioritize the equity of information, two-way communication channels, and fundamental transparency of our democratic process into our strategy for responsible urban growth.
This quickly becomes a conversation about equity because often it’s the same communities who are the most economically vulnerable which also lack the most services and infrastructure.
Of course, this isn’t breaking news. We’ve known for a long time that public transit runs more infrequently and less efficiently in places of higher poverty — exactly where people are the most likely to rely on it the most. What’s different now is that we have the data to prove it — and there’s a world of difference between feeling like something is common knowledge and defining it on paper.
That’s because once we can define a problem, we can begin to solve for it.
In this day in age, if knowledge is power — then data is accountability.
Though, it’s true that understanding a large constituency and balancing limited resources is hard. Trying to make decisions about what might be best for tens of thousands of people is essentially a giant information problem that we aren’t perfect at solving. But, we will get better. If we think about digital inclusion as the backbone of building and maintaining thriving neighborhoods, then it’s hard to imagine that data isn’t an indivisible part of urban development.
By committing to a long-term plan which includes digital equity, responsiveness, and data-driven decision making as intrinsically linked to supporting healthy communities, Portland is setting the stage to become an international model as an open data city.
Take a moment and feel really, really proud and excited for the future.
Now, brace yourself.
Here’s what the amendment looks like now after the city’s attorney made a few recommendations:
There are a few reasons why this makes sense from the city’s perspective. The Comprehensive Plan is essentially about land use policy, not about digital strategy. Also, setting a broad legal precedent for open data access could create new expenses.
It’s worth remembering that when the first Portland Comprehensive Plan was written in the 80’s, the Commission a set a novel precedent by linking the concept of land use to transportation. The plan didn’t need to spell out exactly how much it would cost or what specific steps we would need to take to reimagine our transit system, but establishing the priority to connect communities and improve quality of life across the city laid the foundation for what eventually became the MAX line, new streetcars, and bike lanes. This directly led to the iconic emergence of Portland as landmark transportation model in the 90’s.
Today, when communities increasingly rely on the internet and information sharing to participate in economic, educational, and civic activities, it makes sense to link digital access to a land use plan.
And it doesn’t have to break the bank.
Right now, the gap between how the public sector and private sector leverages technology is huge—and that fact has more to do with tradition than capability. With forward thinking policies that provide a framework to meaningfully collaborate with industry partners, engaged citizens, and local groups, like Hack Oregon, we are uniquely primed to lead the charge and see that gap close rapidly.
Until we make open data a first thought, instead of an afterthought, our government can’t move into the 21st Century.
Portland has already made the commitment, and now let’s ask City Council to be accountable. If you believe digital equity is important to growing healthy neighborhoods, send a message to Portland City Council urging them to include open data in our Comprehensive Plan.
There are two ways you can help right now:
1. Send an email to the Commissioners.
If you cc Hack Oregon, we’ll keep you up to date on the email count and news regarding progress.
Write your own, or you can copy and paste this one.
To: cputestimony@portlandoregon.gov
CC: mayorhales@portlandoregon.gov, novick@portlandoregon.gov, nick@portlandoregon.gov, dan@portlandoregon.gov, amanda@portlandoregon.gov, catherine@hackoregon.org
Subject: Data and Development are Indivisible.
Dear Commissioners,
I would be proud to live in a city that supports equal access to information for everyone. We deserve a 21st Century Plan rooted in the values of digital equity, and I urge you to stand up for Portland’s commitment to inclusion and a transparent governing process.
Please keep the open data proposal for Policy 2.11 intact.
2. Show your support by attending the Comprehensive Plan public hearing in person.
Thursday, April 14 2016, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Portland Building Auditorium, 1120 SW 5th Ave
This is an event hosted by the city, but if you’d like directions and an email reminder to your inbox, here’s a link I’ve made to register on Eventbrite.
Having a lot of people attend in person, visibly supporting the testimony will make a strong statement for the Commission. However, it’s important to remember there’s a lot on the agenda, and open data is only one of many topics that needs to be covered that evening.
Pro Tip: For those of you who have never been to an event like this, it’s considered polite to refrain from clapping and noisemaking during the hearing. Even though things may get heated, if you support something, the official preferred method of demonstrating approval is with “jazz hands”.
(For real. It’s a thing)
Now, close your eyes, and imagine a room full of people triumphantly raising spirit fingers to restore democracy.
That part we definitely will make a reality.
Please, hit the recommend button and share this article with your friends.
#jazzhandsfordata
See you at the hearing :)
