What are Open Data?
When information is freely available for anyone to use, we call it Open Data. Ghent is committed to sharing the data and knowledge we have as a city. In doing so we want to encourage innovation and participation, in a transparent way.
Advantages
On the Ghent Open Data portal, we share useful data that is being used in numerous applications. An app that shows you where in the city there are free parking spaces, or how busy it is in the shopping streets: these are just a few examples of Open Data applications. The possibilities are endless.
programme
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What does Ghent do around Open Data?
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Project
Local Open Data Economy (LODE)
Ghent and Bruges are joining forces in LODE (Local Open Data Economy) to use Open Data even more effectively in the future. That not only means collecting more data, but also using them in a smarter way
We investigate how Open Data can make everyday life easier. Not only for citizens, but also for local entrepreneurs, educational institutions and governments. We research which data are most relevant, and what economic and social added value they can offer.
By making our data available, we want to strengthen the market and increase the user value of Open Data for various stakeholders. We want to continue our many years of experience around Open Data. Therefore, we are investigating how Open Data can make a difference over the next ten years.
Read more about the project here.
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Project
Nudging Down Night Noise
The 'Nudging Down Night Noise' project builds on previous City of Things projects by the Ghent and Leuven. Both cities, together with universities KULeuven and UGent, aim to measure and recognise night noise. Using smart nudges, we try to prevent night-time noise.
As a living lab, the cities share infrastructure and knowledge, while KULeuven and UGent research different types of nudging techniques and evaluate their effectiveness. We also collect objective and subjective data to understand night noise. We do this through participation, surveys and reports from citizens.
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Project
Predicting Local Entrepreneurs and Economy by Crowds (VLOED)
In 2021, 2022 and 2023, Ghent experimented with crowd measurements in the city centre, both before and during the pandemic. This was done in the project VLOED (Predicting Local Entrepreneurs and Economy by Pressure). The project was a collaboration with the city of Bruges and was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
We monitored visitor numbers and cyclists, mainly during events such as the Ghent Festivities. The City used living labs to quickly test and evaluate different ways of measuring pressure. The project built on previous experiences and aimed to explore new steps to better support the local economy and entrepreneurs.
Read more about the project here.
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Project
Proactive Open Government (PROBE)
The PROBE project (Proactive Open Government) explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in making decisions more transparent and easier to find for both internal services and citizens. Using natural language processing, decisions are analyzed and linked to keywords and locations, enabling citizens to easily find relevant information. This includes, for example, environmental permits and policy plans that impact their neighborhoods. This initiative is supported by the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Read more about the project here.
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Project
Smart Cities + Open Data Reuse (SCORE)
The SCORE project (Smart Cities + Open Data Reuse) aims to improve public services through Open Data. Cities possess a wealth of data that often remains underutilized. SCORE focuses on unlocking and exchanging this data between city services and other providers, saving time and resources in the process.
In collaboration with nine cities from seven European countries, we address common challenges in mobility, transport, and water management. In Ghent, the Data & Information Service works together with District09 to achieve these goals.
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Project
Collection of the Ghentian (CoGent)
The Collection of the Gentenaar project digitized a valuable collection of approximately 80,000 objects, stories, and documents. This heritage was made available on the online platform data.collectie.gent and in the CoGent-box, a mobile experiential space that toured through Ghent neighborhoods. Visitors could participate by adding personal stories and objects to the cultural heritage. The project also included the development of a cultural data lab and a co-creation fund to encourage the reuse of cultural heritage. The project was carried out in collaboration with the City of Ghent, Ghent museums, and the Ghent Archive.
Read more about the project here.
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Event
Hackathons 'Apps for Ghent'
The City of Ghent has organized several hackathons under the name Apps for Ghent. What does that entail? Using a competition format, groups of programmers and students design a mobile application based on municipal Open Data. This way, we actively use Open Data to address challenges in the city. Here’s a brief overview of past editions:
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014 (Theme: 'Environment')
- 2015 (Theme: 'Library')
- 2016 (Theme: 'Maps')
- 2017 (Theme: 'Sports')
- 2018 (Theme: 'Space')
- 2019 (Theme: 'Museum')
- 2022 (Theme: 'Culture')
Curious about some of the results? Be sure to check out the useful Explore.Gent or the playful 'Weunt a lief in Wachtebeke'.
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Where can I find Open Data?
Are you itching to get started with Open Data yourself? Good news: you can find Open Data in lots of places. We collected some of the most interesting tools and portals for you:
- Ghent Open Data
- East Flanders Open Data
- Flemish Open Data
- Belgian Open Data
- European Open Data
And what about privacy?
The Ghent's Open Data initiatives are in line with data protection legislations. That means we do not collect or share any sensitive or personal information. Want to know more? Read the City's privacy statement here.