Finding data online
Finding transport planning data online for emerging cities can be challenging due to limited data availability, fragmented data sources, data quality issues, a lack of standardisation, and dynamic urban growth.
Nevertheless, with the right approach and sources, it is possible to identify useful data. In this article we provide some useful platforms and sources, along with website links, to help you find potentially relevant transport planning data:
| Source/Organisation: | Work Bank Open Data |
|---|---|
| Description: | The World Bank provides a vast array of data on transportation, including infrastructure, mobility patterns, and urban development, often including emerging cities. |
| Website: | World Bank Open Data |
| Source/Organisation: | UN-Habitat |
|---|---|
| Description: | UN-Habitat offers resources and data on urban planning and development, including transportation, with a focus on sustainable urbanisation in emerging cities. |
| Website: | UN-Habitat Urban Indicator Database |
| Source/Organisation: | Asian Development Bank (ADB) |
|---|---|
| Description: | ADB provides data and reports on infrastructure development, including transportation, in Asian and Pacific regions, where many emerging cities are located. ADB has also developed and curates the Asian Transport Outlook. An open-data resource for transport data and policy information collection, analysis, and documentation covering all transport subsectors, infrastructure, transport activity, and externalities. This is covered in greater depth in the next unit. |
| Website: | Asian Transport Outlook |
| Source/Organisation: | African Development Bank (AfDB) |
|---|---|
| Description: | AfDB offers resources on infrastructure development and urbanisation in African countries, including transportation data relevant to emerging cities.. |
| Website: | Open Data for Africa |
Country or City-Specific Open Data Portals:
Many emerging countries and/or cities (local governments) have their own open data portals where they share various datasets, including those related to transportation and urban planning. We recommend searching [Country/City name] + [Open Data Platform] in your search engine of choice.
A non-exhaustive sample of emerging city data platforms are provided below:
| City/Country | São Paulo, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Description: | São Paulo in Brazil has an Open Data platform (Dados Abertos São Paulo) which provides access to a wide range of datasets from the municipal government, including demographics, infrastructure, and public services. |
| Website: | Dados Abertos São Paulo |
| City/Country | Bengaluru (Bangalore), India |
|---|---|
| Description: | Open City Bangalore aims to provide citizens, government, and other stakeholders with access to data for promoting transparency, accountability, and innovation in Bengaluru. |
| Website: | Open City Bangalore |
| City/Country | Cape Town, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Description: | The City of Cape Town’s open data portal offers datasets related to demographics, infrastructure, environment, and more, supporting data-driven decision-making and citizen engagement. |
| Website: | Open City Cape Town |
| City/Country | Mexico City, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Description: | Mexico City’s open data platform provides access to a wide range of datasets from the municipal government, including transportation, public safety, and urban development. |
| Website: | Datos Abiertos Ciudad de México |
| City/Country | Istanbul, Turkey |
|---|---|
| Description: | Istanbul Data Hub offers access to datasets related to various aspects of city life, including transportation, environment, culture, and economy, fostering transparency and innovation in Turkey’s largest city. |
| Website: | Istanbul Data Hub |
| City/Country | Lagos, Nigeria |
|---|---|
| Description: | The Lagos State Open Data Portal provides access to datasets covering sectors such as education, healthcare, transportation, and urban planning, promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s largest city. |
| Website: | Lagos State Open Data Portal |
| City/Country | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Description: | The Ho Chi Minh City Data Portal offers datasets on various topics, including demographics, economy, infrastructure, and environment, supporting data-driven governance and citizen engagement in Vietnam’s largest city. |
| Website: | Ho Chi Minh City Data Portal |
These examples highlight the efforts of emerging cities to embrace open data principles and leverage data for improving governance, fostering innovation, and empowering citizens. This is revisited in week 5 with in-depth case studies
| Source/Organisation: | Google Scholar |
|---|---|
| Description: | Google Scholar can be a valuable resource for finding academic papers and studies on transportation planning and urban development in emerging cities. |
| Website: | Google Scholar |
| Source/Organisation: | Transportation Research Organisations and Initiatives |
|---|---|
| Description: | Organisations like the Transportation Research Board (TRB) or the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) may have research and data relevant to emerging cities’ transportation challenges. |
| Website: | Transportation Research Board |
| Source/Organisation: | The Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) |
|---|---|
| Description: | TUMI has developed and curates the TUMI Data Hub, an open platform for collecting, sharing, and analysing data related to mobility and urban planning. It aims to provide a comprehensive database of information that can be used to inform and guide decision-making in urban mobility. It is an open platform for collecting, sharing, and analysing data related to mobility and urban planning. The Data Hub therefore aims to provide a comprehensive database of information that can be used to inform and guide decision-making in urban mobility. |
| Website: | TUMI data hub |
| Source/Organisation: | Google Environment Insights Explorer (EIE) |
|---|---|
| Description: | It is a free tool designed to help cities and local governments measure and reduce their carbon emissions. It provides data on key environmental factors such as transportation, building energy use, and solar energy potential. EIE leverages Google’s extensive mapping and data capabilities to offer insights that assist city planners and policymakers in understanding their city’s carbon footprint and identifying areas for improvement. |
| Website: | Google Environment Insights Explorer (EIE) |
| OpenStreetMap (OSM) | |
|---|---|
| Description: | OSM previously covered in unit 2.3 is a collaborative mapping project that collects geospatial data worldwide, including transportation infrastructure, which can be valuable for planning purposes.. |
| Website: | OpenStreetMap |
When accessing data from any of the sources mentioned above, ensure that you review data usage policies, verify the credibility of the information, and consider the specific context of the emerging city you are focusing on. Adapting the data to local conditions and challenges is crucial, as each city’s transport needs and dynamics can vary significantly.
In the coming weeks, we will explore how to utilise these open data sets for practical applications in transport planning.
Suggested readings
- The Role of Open Data in Sustainable Transport, GIZ (2015)
- Using open data and open-source software to develop spatial indicators of urban design and transport features for achieving healthy and sustainable cities (2022)
Data Fundamentals for Sustainable Mobility
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