Culture

An Open Data Hub That Builds Better Citizens

A new platform from Esri acts like a social network built on civic duty.
Civic data wonks, take note. Mel Evans/AP Photo

More than 100 American cities host online open data portals brimming with information on crime, housing, transit, traffic, and neighborhood boundaries. Such initiatives have promised to make government more transparent, accountable, and accessible, at a time when the public’s trust is scraping bottom.