The city of Berkeley has become the newest California city to start its own portal for public data.
The website, https://data.cityofberkeley.info/, currently offers a total of 17 data sets on 311 requests, crime incidents, business licenses, restaurant inspections, water use, and more.
The city’s IT department is leading Berkeley’s open data initiative, with support from other city departments and volunteers from UC Berkeley.
"This was driven by a commitment to transparency and open government,” Donna LaSala, the city’s IT director, said in an Aug. 6 announcement. "Staff and student volunteers worked hard to make this happen."
The effort included 1,500 hours of work and a six-month pilot that concluded this summer. Berkeley contracted with Socrata for the open data portal in May 2014, according to city records.
