Data Excellence in Vienna

What this episode covers

In this episode, we dive into the innovative world of Brigitte Lutz, the Data Governance Coordinator for the city of Vienna. Lutz has been instrumental in positioning climate change as a catalyst for digital transformation, aiming to establish Vienna as the most livable city globally. Vienna took a pioneering step in 2011 by opening its data to the public, setting a precedent that has since inspired over 300 applications developed in Vienna and 700 across Austria. This initiative began with the crucial step of classifying which data could be publicly shared, a task complicated by data silos within Vienna's 100+ administrative departments. To engage its 60,000 employees, Vienna focused on defining roles and responsibilities, creating a network of data stewards and experts. However, Vienna recognized that merely publishing open data wasn't enough; it fostered community engagement through unique open data meet-ups, known as "Wien and Wine," boosting the ecosystem around this open data. Notable successes include the startup Runtastic, which leveraged Vienna's open data before being acquired by Adidas, and the development of apps that provide real-time data on elevator functionality and street curb heights for wheelchair users. Vienna is also at the forefront of smart city innovation with the creation of an urban data space initiative, utilizing Gaia-X for public utilities. To generate public enthusiasm for data, Vienna hosts "data walks" that conclude with discussions in the parliament house, often over wine, highlighting the city's approach to making data accessible and engaging. Additionally, Vienna participates in the Open Government Data Austria cooperative, consisting of 150 members brainstorming on data's value creation, and contributes to the Open Data DACHLi for the German-speaking community. Brigitte also has amusing stories, where data can be misleading - based on data, Vienna had a 100m wide tree and flying overground trains, - highlighting the importance for data quality and governance.

PodParley-generated summary based on available episode metadata and transcript content.