Cork Dashboard – Information for All
About this good practice
Problem addressed: How to build more extensive and effective city dashboards. Three sets of fundamental problems are tackled: data issues; interaction issues; and analytics issues. Local authorities wished to provides citizens, public sector workers and companies with real-time information, time-series indicator data, and interactive maps about all aspects of Cork county and city.
How objectives are reached:
The Cork Dashboard allows users to monitor a range of public data – information is drawn from data providers including local authorities, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Central Statistics Office and government departments. A number of real-time, interactive maps and data-sets give users the ability to track changes as they happen. Potential applications include:
Cork Citizens: to plan their commute, to compare property prices and planning permission information and even report issues such as broken street lights and potholes.
Public Officials: review up-to-the-minute vital statistics e.g. prevalence of crime, health data and pollution levels, making planning more efficient and effective.
Foreign Direct Investment: visual representations for cost of living and economic performance for companies considering investment and for advocacy groups e.g. IDA.
Tourism: allow potential visitors plan their trip with greater ease and in more detail, e.g. check transport options, hotel availability and bathing water quality on beaches
Resources needed
€2.3 million from Science Foundation Ireland - 4 years (Grant number 15/IA/3090). The team includes 2x software developers, 4 x post-doctoral researchers, 3 x PhD students, 1 x project coordinator and a semi-funded administrator. Cork City Match funding €6,500 (half day) project co-ordinator.
Evidence of success
The Dashboard contributes to enhancing Cork by:
• Strong collaboration between academia, citizens and local authorities resulting in a valuable resource. Public authorities fully supportive of utilising the dashboard to drive new innovations, empower citizens, and enable better decision making.
• Plethora of Media attention National/Local Newspapers/Radio.
• More data being added on a weekly basis including: Pedestrian footfall data; EPA Sensors to measure air-quality.
Potential for learning or transfer
With a goal of providing the public and policymakers with easy access to vital information about their city in order to empower more informed decision-making, the Cork Dashboard has great potential for transfer to other regions across Europe.
SFI funded the dashboard on the auspices that the coding for the dashboard be open sourced and that any region across the globe would be able to replicate the dashboard. The source coding is available on https://github.com.
Ireland is seeking to be reckognised as a global leaders in data dashboard visualisation and in how it engages with it’s citizens. Through SFI, Maynooth University and their collaborative relationship with City and County Councils across Dublin, Cork and Donegal/Derry this is becoming a reality.
Main stakeholders: Maynooth University, Cork City Council and Cork County Council - funded by Science Foundation Ireland.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Cork City Council