Innovation in Action

Welcome to the 2023 Annual Report for the City of Detroit’s  Open Data Portal  (ODP).  In it you will find an overview of open data initiatives, goals, work performed in the past year, and plans/recommendations for the coming year.  None of this work would be possible without the City’s Open Data Team, which is almost entirely funded through the Connect 313 Digital Inclusion Data Operation American Rescue Plan project. 

The report is divided into thirteen sections, and we chose the story map format for ease of use in terms of navigation, incorporation of graphic design elements, and interaction with open datasets and tools. Users can quickly jump to any section using the tabs at the top of the page, and are encouraged to explore, and interact with, every element of the report.  

The Open Data Team is incredibly proud of the work it’s accomplished since its inception in fall of 2022, and looks forward to continuing to improve data transparency, timeliness, accuracy, accessibility, and utility in the coming year. 

In 2015 Mayor Mike Duggan sought to devise a tool to improve government transparency and accountability using City of Detroit data. The result of this effort was  Executive Order 2015-2 , which established the Detroit Government Data Access to All (Detroit GO DATA) initiative. Detroit GO DATA created a Task Force of high-level administrators to collect, document, and publish City of Detroit data for public consumption, an Advisory Commission to provide community input concerning this data, and an Open Data Portal to house this data.

The City of Detroit’s ODP continues to house this data in a form that is free to use by, and share with, everyone unless exempt from disclosure by law.  Open Data serves as a conduit of informed decision-making for residents, businesses, and various other organizations operating in Detroit.  The ODP contains a wealth of information about the City of Detroit for researchers, journalists, educators, and students alike.   Additionally, the ODP promotes citizen participation, improvement of city policies and services, and technological innovation.

Through the creation and maintenance of the ODP, the City of Detroit shows that it is committed to treating City data as a public good on par with City parks or public sidewalks: free and accessible to anyone who wishes to use them.

In addition to the Open Data Portal, EO 2015-2 created a Task Force and an Advisory Commission.  The Task Force is composed of the City’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Corporation Counsel, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and directors of other departments appointed at the discretion of the CIO.  The GO DATA Advisory Commission is composed of eleven volunteer community members with a passion for data accessibility and engagement representing various constituencies throughout the City (business-owners, academics, non-profit administrators, etc.).    The Advisory Commission is required by the EO to meet quarterly, but has recently opted to meet bimonthly to better fulfill their duties. 

The early years of Detroit GO DATA were focused on the selection and appointment of the eleven members of the Advisory Commission and the creation of the ODP.  The members worked on scoring datasets, discussed possible bylaws, appointed new members, created a blog, conducted discussions regarding research, community engagement, reports, and other matters.  With the advent of the COVID -19 pandemic, the Advisory Commission paused their work.

In 2022 the Commission reconvened and performed the following actions:

• Recruited, selected, and appointed three new members: Alexa Eisenberg, Alex Hill, and Thomas Walker
• Created and ratified Commission bylaws
• Clarified the Commission's role as the community representatives
• Deliberated and voted on meeting formats, locations, and schedules
• Created the blueprint for drafting the first official Annual Report
• Recommended avenues for community engagement
• Provided feedback on new tools and datasets produced for the ODP
• Supported ODP initiatives such as Open Data Day Challenge and Visualizing Detroit: The Art of Data

The future looks bright for the improvement and expansion of the ODP, especially with the voice of the community at the forefront.   

Commissioner biographies are available in a PDF file from the  Open Data Portal '2023 GO DATA Commissioners' page .

As you go through the pages of this report, it is our hope that you, our readers, share the open data philosophy that stems from our residents’ requests of transparency, efficiency, and innovation, as well as the value of having this resource at the fingertips of our residents to improve their daily lives.

We are proud of the data-related work we have accomplished in our first year and want to share some of our own performance data with you! 

We spent much of our first year attempting to add value to the ODP through the development of new ODP features and improvement of old ODP features. In terms of new features and improvements we have 

• Added 13 new datasets on the ODP, bringing the total to 166 

• Fully documented 59 datasets and 484 fields 

• Produced 6 new tools built with Open Data 

• Improved 27 data pipelines to ensure ODP data remains timely and accurate 

Before the Open Data team formed there was a 3 month backlog of unanswered user feedback and no clear community engagement strategy. In our first year we rectified these issues by

• Resolving 249 user feedback requests with an average resolution time of 2 business days 

• Coding 457 unique user feedback records dating back to 2018 to develop 6 Open Data User Personas 

• Attending 37 community events to promote the ODP 

Through additions, improvements, and community engagement we expect to see an uptick in ODP use. The Open Data Team works with approximately 60 Data Stewards, staff members in departments throughout the City, to publish data to the ODP. Data Stewards provide insights at the intersection of specific data sets, a subject area, and organizational data practices. Additionally, Data Stewards triage questions about data sets and processes within their departments. The 8-member Open Data Team worked with approximately 60 departmental Data Stewards to enable more than 77,000 people use Detroit Open Data in 2023.

By the end of 2023, 166 datasets and 6 data tools were available through the ODP. Datasets from these resources were downloaded over 12,000 times and viewed about 257,000 times.

The City of Detroit Open Data Team’s founding and operations are intrinsically tied to American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding and the Office of Digital Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), also housed under the City of Detroit's Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). ODEI is focused on promoting digital inclusion and bridging the digital divide within the community and has a clear mission: to ensure that all households in Detroit are digitally included, meaning that they possess internet access, a computer, technical support, and basic computer training.

Research on Detroit's digital divide has shed light on the specific challenges faced by residents. For example, a 2018 study, published by Michigan State University found that the cost of internet subscriptions is a significant barrier, leading many residents to seek alternative means to access online resources. University of Michigan’s Urban Collaboratory completed a project entitled “Mapping Detroit’s Digital Divide”, during which the project team identified that a large percent of Detroit Public School Students rely on mobile devices for internet access, and that 70% of Detroit’s school-age children do not have internet access at home.   That overreliance on mobile devices along with data caps further exacerbate the digital divide.

Despite the aforementioned research, there are significant gaps in Detroit household-level digital inclusion data. Digital inclusion minimally encompasses access to devices, access to broadband internet, and digital literacy. Most currently available digital inclusion data comes from one-off academic studies, the American Community Survey administered by the United States Census Bureau, or broadband fabric maintained by the Federal Communications Commission. None of these sources provide regularly updated data on either the quality of internet access in terms of average upload/download speeds and outage frequency or digital literacy in terms of access to, and utilization of, technical support.  

Recognizing that local grassroots organizations, particularly those in the Connect 313 network, regularly collect data that could fill these gaps, and recognizing that this data is not being collected in a consistent manner, ODEI partnered with the Office of Data Strategy and Analytics (DS&A) to develop the ARPA funded Connect 313 Project. The goals of the Connect 313 Project are, broadly construed, the production of a robust collection of timely Detroit household-level digital inclusion datasets and the creation of a dedicated Open Data Team to manage, transform, and analyze these datasets for accessible public consumption via the City’s Open Data Portal. A specific list of Connect 313 Project goals, outcomes, and outputs can be found in Table 1 below. 

In June 2023, the Open Data Team drafted a product roadmap for the ODP. This is a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the work that the team will be prioritizing. It allows to map out our vision for the ODP, spread across seven categories, and how we will realize this vision over the next couple of years. We collectively review this document at the beginning of each quarter and add projects that we completed over that period that were not originally planned (the transparent arrows). 

Personas are realistic portraits of fictional persons meant to represent the characteristics of groups who would use, or currently use, the ODP.  Used in many industries including advertising, marketing, and engineering, personas help businesses improve the usability their products. In the context of the ODP, personas help us understand how different users interact with the ODP to accomplish their data-related goals. 

We cannot improve the accessibility and understandability of ODP data products without also knowing who is attempting to access and understand them. ODP users vary in terms of what data products they want to use and how they want to use them. Personas allow us to categorize our varied users in a way that makes incorporation of their perspectives into the design, creation, and improvement of ODP data products manageable and effective. 

To develop the ODP personas, we drew an environmental scan from research-based evidence, such as the work on open data personas in a municipal context   from the Sunlight Foundation.  We also relied on more than 10 firsthand community engagement experiences, where we listened to both users and potential users on their experiences with open data.   

Finally, the team analyzed a dataset consisting of 913 messages submitted through the Open Data Portal feedback form between 20 November 2018 and 2 February 2023.   The goal of this analysis was to gain a better understanding of our users in various realms reflected in the coding schema, which consisted of the following categories: relevance, role, locale, challenge, purpose, functionality, content, and specificity. The team analyzed the data using content analysis and statistical summaries of message features and coding categories developed through content analysis.

 Based on this evidence, we created six distinct personas with their own stories, needs, and general preferences concerning ODP features.   Descriptions of the personas are available on the Open Data Portal .

We have plans to publish new datasets, create new apps, and generate new tutorials specific for one or more personas.

Among the insights gleaned from community engagement and preliminary user feedback analysis, we discovered the challenges many of our users face understanding and navigating the ODP could be addressed with educational resources. 

Of the varied pedagogical tools at our disposal, we chose video tutorials because of their accessibility and minimal maintenance once created. Tutorials allow different kinds of learners to access content on demand, regardless of time and place, and at their own pace.     

While a benefit of video tutorials is their low maintenance, we recognized the absence of a live instructor to answer questions as a serious shortcoming. We have tried to address this by dedicating portions of the tutorials to directing users on how to fill out the ODP feedback form if they have questions or concerns regarding the tutorial.   

Prior to embarking on this project, we considered a variety of issues including staff capacity, form of content (for example, rapidly changing or more stable), appropriate video lengths, the appropriate voice and tone of the instructor, and progression of knowledge from one tutorial to the next.     

It was important for the team to deliver quality, user-friendly, and accessible tutorials to address some of the challenges ODP users encounter.  To this end, we conducted an environmental scan of the available tools to record and edit our tutorials, and we also determined the learning objectives for the tutorials.  Based on the most appropriate tools and the learning objectives, we drafted, edited, and proofread the script.  The chosen method of delivery was video screen-casting with voice and transcription. 

The team plans to focus the next iteration of tutorials on topics that will appeal specifically and broadly to our six ODP personas.  Our intention is to continue listening to our users and potential users through anecdotes collected via our improved feedback form, first-hand community engagement, and aggregate user feedback analysis.  Future topics include elements of a dataset; what can you find in the ODP; creating a story; what to do after a data table is downloaded; how to filter data; data 101; and how to interpret the data. 

 Detroit Business Data Explorer:  This video tutorial was divided into three parts to make it user-friendly.  The videos were uploaded to the  City of Detroit YouTube account  and links to the tutorials were added to the ODP, providing more than one point of access. 

 Navigating the Detroit Open Data Portal:  This video tutorial is intended for the user to learn the basics of Detroit’s Open Data Portal, allowing them to navigate it with ease and take full advantage of its datasets, tools, and other resources like the Change Log and how to contact the Open Data Team. This tutorial is presented on the  FAQ page on the ODP  and is available from the City of Detroit YouTube channel.

We are working to make the ODP understandable and accessible to a wide variety of users, from academics to ordinary citizens. Part of this work involves documenting datasets and developing applications that allow users to explore data in non-tabular formats, but it also involves implementing less data-focused improvements that render the ODP more transparent and easier to navigate. Several noteworthy improvements are listed below. 

With the addition of each new data set and tool we aim to expand the possible uses of the ODP. In our first year we published 13 new datasets and 6 new tools on the ODP, of which you can see detailed descriptions below.

Detroit’s ODP is a powerful tool that connects the government with the people it serves.  By promoting its openness as a means for transparency and accountability, the City of Detroit is building a bridge of trust with Detroiters.  The ODP can empower the public in many ways, but only once the public has a sufficient awareness and understanding of open data. The goal of this community engagement strategy is to effectively raise public awareness and understanding of Detroit’s ODP in order to empower the public.  

Our plan is grounded in research from the Sunlight Foundation, which provides an action-oriented and measurable framework for open data community engagement.  The Sunlight Foundation’s  Community Engagement Impact Framework  is composed of five elements: Inputs, Activities, Outputs, Outcomes, and Impacts.  We also gleaned from the  Spectrum of Public Participation  developed by the  International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) . The elements of our plan are described in the table below, which has been tailored to the City of Detroit.  

In the short-term (1-2 years) our goal is to increase public awareness of the ODP and its utility for a variety of stakeholders: City staff, researchers, community groups, curious residents, public administrators, and businesspeople. We have integrated the relevant characteristics of these groups into a series of fictional ODP personas.    In addition to drafting personas, we have participated in 37 outreach-related activities, responded to over 160 feedback submissions, and created 2 ODP navigation tutorial videos.  

In the medium-term (2-3 years), we envision the creation of training materials for various skill levels, covering topics from querying ODP tables to effectively joining and analyzing City data across tables.  At this point, our users and potential users will be familiar with open data/the ODP and will understand their utility. Our goal will be empowering ODP users to advance their interests with the help of open data.   

In the long term (5+ years), we are hoping to see the City’s open data widely and creatively used and referenced by the public in ways that will continuously spur innovation and ensure municipal accountability.

With a dedicated community engagement strategy in place, the Open Data Team participated in 37 community events and promoted several community-focused initiatives this year. Below are some highlights that were particularly effective in promoting Detroit open data.  

In our commitment to fostering innovation and empowerment, we demonstrated the practical applications of open data derived tools for two user groups: Detroit Businesspeople and Curious Detroit Residents.  

With the goal of reaching Detroit businesspeople, we promoted the  Detroit Business Data Explorer  application and participated in gatherings such as Detroit Means Business Summit and the APEX Accelerator in collaboration with Wayne State University.   

We also demonstrated ODP basics at events such as the Disco Tech at Alkebu-Lan Village, Connect 313 Community Conversations, and meetings with community organizations like the Detroit AM Rotary Club to introduce curious Detroit residents to the ODP.  

We designed our signature initiatives to encourage using Detroit open data in novel and creative ways, which particularly resonated with our Curious Detroit Resident, Detroit Researcher, and City of Detroit Staff user groups.   

Encouraging users to answer new questions with Detroit open data, we organized a Detroit Open Data Day Challenge to coincide with the international  Open Data Day Challenge  hosted by the Open Knowledge Foundation. Our finalists used Detroit open data to explore business equity, housing, and 911 response times. 

In collaboration with the Detroit Data Coalition and community partners, we organized the first annual open data art exhibit entitled  Visualizing Detroit: The Art of Data . Participants were asked to tell a “visual story” using data hosted by participating organizations via whatever visual medium they found suitable. Of the 17 submissions received, 5 finalists with pieces exploring gentrification, historic waterways, and other topics were chosen to receive mentorship from participating organizations and have their art publicly featured by these organizations. 

The GO DATA Advisory Commission provides community guidance concerning the form and function of the ODP.  Below are their recommendations for ODP improvements in the coming year.

The Commission recommends increasing community awareness of existence, use, and benefits of the ODP. This will have the added benefit of creating a feedback loop wherein improvement of ODP datasets and tools may be guided by community needs and concerns.  In particular, the Commission recommends creating workshops addressing community-specific issues and challenges such as data visualization, the basics of data analysis, and problem-solving with data.

The Commission recommends improving user experience when it comes to navigating the ODP, its tools, and its datasets. In particular, the Commission recommends recruiting a representative sample of community members to participate in user testing and the proliferation of visualizations of ODP datasets. User testing will provide the Open Data Team with a more comprehensive understanding of community needs and preferences, and visualizations will allow users who may not have the skills or resources to easily navigate ODP datasets to do so with relative ease.

The Commission recommends increasing marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the datasets and tools available to the community. In particular, the Commission recommends utilizing City Department with close ties to the community to enable more effective communication, distributing a variety of marketing materials via social media, community newsletters, and community presentations, and developing a quarterly ODP newsletter to keep users abreast of open data news and developments.

By implementing these recommendations, the Commission believes the ODP will become more collaborative and community-centric, moving Detroit closer to digital empowerment.  

In 2024 we will continue raising ODP awareness through community outreach and open data initiatives, aiming to exceed 2023 participation levels. In addition to events like Open Data Day and Visualizing Detroit, and established ODP features like the Change Log, we will distribute a quarterly online newsletter to update our users on new features, future plans, and interesting open data use cases.

Following our Community Engagement Strategy, we will start intentionally incorporating user needs into ODP design and adding elements to ease the use of open data. Three initiatives reflecting this shift in strategy are listed below. 

In collaboration with the  University of Michigan School of Information  we will be user testing three applications: the ODP, the Detroit Business Data Explorer, and the Base Units Explorer. A different civic user testing group composed of individuals representing particular personas will test each application. For the ODP we will be focusing on Curious Detroit Residents and Detroit Researchers, for the  Detroit Business Data Explorer  we will be focusing on Detroit Businesspeople and City of Detroit Staff, and for the  Base Units Explorer  we will be focusing on City of Detroit Staff, Detroit Community Groups, and Curios Detroit Residents. We will incorporate recommended changes into each of the applications.

The larger datasets on the ODP are some of our most popular. They are also some of the most difficult to navigate without access to relational database management software and the requisite knowledge that entails. Knowing that most of our users are not managing their own on-prem databases, we will be premiering an Analytics Portal to allow users to explore our data (regardless of dataset size) in non-tabular ways. Initially, the Analytics Portal will host dashboards visualizing datasets like Parcels, Property Sales, Blight Violations, and 911 Calls. Eventually, it will also host data visualization and analytics tutorials and in-house analytics projects produced by the Open Data Team covering topics like digital equity and sustainability. 

We have a lot of exciting new data coming down the pipeline. In 2024 we anticipate publishing Fire Investigations, Budget, and City Building Energy Usage. In addition to posting more City owned, or generated, data, we will be shifting our focus to datasets that are relevant to, but not owned or generated by, the City. These include Schools, Air Quality, Broadband Speeds, and Demographics. We will also begin working to post data explicitly requested by our users.   

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the individuals and organizations whose collaboration contributed to the successes of the ODP in the last year. The following entities were instrumental in fostering transparency, innovation, and accessibility in the realm of open data: 

The continued engagement we received from our public users, whether in the form of referencing our data to improve City transparency or asking for new datasets on the ODP, underscored the importance of our work as a public service.

The contributions of the City of Detroit data stewards, from identifying new data sources to documenting current datasets, were invaluable. They played a pivotal role in developing and maintaining the infrastructure supporting open data initiatives. 

Detroit's open data community was enthusiastically engaged in our initiatives. Both stakeholders and advocates championed informed decision-making grounded in open data.  With their help we laid the groundwork for a culture of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. 

• Downtown Detroit Partnership 
• Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Data and Maps 
• Data Driven Detroit (D3) Toolbox 
• Detroit Bureau 
• Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC)
• Detroit Future City 
• Detroit Land Bank Authority 
• University of Michigan 
• Wayne State University 

• DetroitOGRAPHY
• Detroit Collaborative Design Center 
• Design Core Detroit 
• Connect 313  
• Detroit Digital Justice Coalition 
• AXIOS 
• Detroit AM Rotary Club   

This annual report stands as a testament to the collective efforts of these contributors, reflecting a shared commitment to the principles of transparency, collaboration, and the power of open data to improve local governance. 

We created a survey to learn about our users' needs and recommendations to guide the design, functionality, and content of the Detroit Open Data Portal (ODP). We'd love to hear from you, whether you currently use the Detroit Open Data Portal, or are interested in potentially using it in the future.