Boston increases range of data available to public

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh on April 7 signed an executive order that significantly increases the amount of city data that will be available to the public. Among the types of data that will be made available are emergency-response times, crime statistics, and liquor licenses that have been issued.

The policy, according to the executive order, reflects the city’s view that increasing openness can enhance transparency and promote public participation in government.

New York, Seattle and Philadelphia are among other major cities that have made extensive amounts of data available to the public. In 2010, San Francisco was the first city in the country to approve an open-data ordinance.

Walsh’s executive order authorizes the city’s chief information officer to outline what data should be considered confidential, such as education and health records.

The executive order is the latest step Boston has taken to increase public access to data. The city’s “Boston About Results” performance-management website, introduced during the administration of former Mayor Thomas Menino, includes selected metrics on public health, neighborhood development, property management, transportation, and several other topics.