Helsinki opens up data bases

 

The data is primarily targeted at developers who wish to embed or include the data in their own applications. All recordings are also available on demand at the Helsinkikanava main site.

 

The opening up of the Helsinkikanava data content is intended to encourage application developers to use the data as a basis for creating new types of online services. The goal is to create tools that increase interaction between citizens and the City of Helsinki.

 

City decision making attracts a great deal of interest in Helsinki. For example, a recent debate on vegetarian food days at schools published on YouTube has been seen by 85,000 viewers.

 

City of Helsinki Web Communications Manager Ari Tammi says that Helsinkikanava’s data security is at a high level: “Application developers can only read data and not manipulate it.”

 

See http://open.helsinkikanava.fi.

 

Other City of Helsinki databases made public

 

The opening up of Helsinkikanava databases follows a series of other databases made accessible to application developers, including news streams, the Helsinki Service Map and statistical information produced by the City of Helsinki Urban Facts. Also available are the listings of the Web Library HelMet, which include information on close to 700,000 books, documents and recordings. Key factors that affect the state of the environment can be found in an environmental statistics database. 

 

The Helsinki Region’s public databases include the Journey Planner and the vehicle location service of Helsinki Region Transport.

 

Public databases are listed at the Suomi.fi public service portal.

 

Application developers can compete in new ways to utilize public databases in the ongoing Apps4Finland (“applications for democracy, Finland”) contest. The winners will be announced at the MindTrek Conference in Tampere, Finland, on October 7, 2010.