Reykjavik’s ‘data buffet’ is open

Reykjavik, Iceland has launched a new centralised hub for open data named the Data Buffet.

The site provides access to city data in one place and aims to make it easier to use for staff, residents, businesses and researchers.

“This platform allows users to access various databases and retrieve information from the City of Reykjavík’s data portal for research, innovation, social review, or entertainment purposes,” said Oskar Sandholt, the City of Reykjavik’s Director of Service and Innovation, in a LinkedIn update.

“One does not need to be an expert in data analysis to utilise the Data Buffet. We aim to make Reykjavík’s open data accessible, comprehensible and enjoyable for all.”

Data stories

‘Data stories’ are available, which use text descriptions, images and statistical data to highlight interesting information.

Current stories include financial assistance in Reykjavik, city finances, sustainability indicators, neighbourhoods, pools, and council elections. Users can quickly see information such as the best time to go swimming, how much green space there is in the city, and the difference between types of funding.

Sandholt says this “visual storytelling” is an effective way to present complex information.

”This approach makes the data more accessible and engaging for the reader, leading to a better understanding of the subject. Since our brains process about 90 percent of the information in a graphic form, visual information plays a crucial role in comprehension.”

“Additionally, humans have a natural inclination towards narratives, making it easier to relate to and absorb information presented in this format,” he said.

Open source

Users can access the city’s Data Portal through the Data Buffet website, where all the data the city has made public is available.

Inga Rós Gunnarsdóttir, Reykjavik’s Chief Data Officer, told Cities Today in a recent interview: “The departments within the city can approach us and say: ‘Hey, we have a wonderful dataset and we think that it would be useful for our citizens to have access to it’, and then we write stories around it. If they are interested, [users] can go all the way down to the raw datasets behind our ‘buffet’.”

Residents can also request new data via the website.

There are currently 572 datasets available on the site with more sets and stories to be added soon.

The Data Buffet is built on CKAN, an open-source system for the storage and distribution of open data, with options specifically for public sector publishers.