A Common Civic Language: Bristol’s Open Data Project

Although many governments around the globe have begun to host open data portals for their citizens, the United Kingdom city of Bristol’s recently launched portal, B-Open, is an intriguing association between a media development company and the city. The company, iShed, has put up money to encourage developers to write programs for them that utilize and display city data. This partnership is primarily motivated by the desire to create environmentally beneficial programs that tackle issues of climate change and other so-called “green” initiatives.

B-Open describes its primary mission as one of ‘connectivity.’ What is particularly fascinating about B-Open’s stated goals is in the method in which it could potentially forge a connection between government, citizens, and private commerce. Most open data portals are still in their infancy, and many would argue that this is the most fertile time for the development of a common civic language. While previous generations of citizens have interacted with their government through either the voting polls or direct contact with their representatives, forming a coalition that uses accurate government data to make policy decisions motivated by citizens with funding from private corporations may usher in a new realm of effective problem solving. The goals of the website include creating programs that would enable every interested Bristol citizen to have a computer, and further exploring the potential benefits of telemedicine.

Perhaps what politics lacks in its current incarnation is a direct connection between civic concerns and the private capital to fund them. While the dangers of having a corporate owned government are obvious, the benefits of having a government that acts directly and effectively to solve civic concerns with the help of industry may outweigh the risks. The difficulty comes in regulating the line between needed civic improvements and companies that purposefully exploit their power to selfishly achieve their goals. The barometer may be how many people are impacted by proposed initiatives. Those initiatives that have a positive impact on the majority of the population should flourish.

Incentives to help develop tools to address climate change benefit everyone, including private industry. Developing more efficient processes by using a dedicated and motivated pool of labor, such as the local Bristol developers, keeps costs relatively low but provides for much higher results, boosting productivity and creating greater communication and connectivity between interested parties. Ultimately, these interested parties must regulate their own affairs, and not let any one person or company’s individual agenda dominate.