City of Pittsburgh Publishes Data Service Standard

The City of Pittsburgh Data Governance Committee has developed its first standard for delivering open data to the public. A Data Service Standard is a way for the City to meet its commitment under the Open Data Ordinance (Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances I.VII §162) to make data publicly available. Cities create data services by providing sustainable and equitable access to data published for a purpose. 

The full Data Service Standard is available here.(PDF, 358KB)

Having a data service standard enables the city to prioritize publication of open data. The City of Pittsburgh aims to support decision makers and innovators inside and outside the public sector with sustainable and equitable access to open data. Our goal is to publish data with a purpose, focusing on users, the problems they need to solve, and providing context to them about the data we release. We want to empower all departments, community partners, and residents with the data resources they need to thrive and harness that data to create a safer, more welcoming, and thriving Pittsburgh.  

We've interviewed our users and open data partners to build a comprehensive framework for the storage and developed the following principles: 

    Publish Data with a Purpose  

    Understand the User, the Problem They Need to Solve, and Context  

    Make Information Accessible by Everyone  

    Communicate Clearly  

    Be Accountable and Transparent  

    Intentionally Choose Tools and Technology   

    Create Shared Outcome-Centered Vision  

    Build Intentional Relationships  

    Operate Reliably   

    Create Opportunities for More - and More Creative - Uses of Data 

These principles guide the City’s work of making data open via our partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center and Allegheny County.  

The City is using these principles to work with our partners to build meaningful collaborations via open data: 

• Publishing City construction and demolition permits, code enforcement, and Condemned and Dead-End Properties from the OneStop system to better understand how to preserve affordable housing via Housecat, the affordable housing catalogue, and share in the forthcoming update to the Parcels N’At service, WPRDC’s parcel data explorer and bulk download tool. 

• Publishing City-owned properties from the City’s eProperties Plus Property Catalog, the Real Estate Tax System, Treasury Sales, and Tax Abatements from the Real Estate Tax System to assist disposition planning with the Department of Finance, the Department of City Planning, and with the Urban Redevelopment Authority.