Each year, International Open Data Day serves as way for governments around the world to highlight the benefits of open data and engage communities in the development of data-driven solutions to common civic challenges. The City of Baton Rouge hosted a virtual event on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, featuring “lightning talks” with City-Parish leaders who use data daily to improve programs and services and make better decisions in areas like public safety, drainage, stormwater management, blight and code enforcement, health and human services, and more. You can view the recording at brla.gov/opendataday. Citizen Data Academy The City-Parish Citizen Data Academy is a free, citizen-focused education and training series Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome launched in 2020. The series connects City-Parish technology and innovation subject-matter experts with Baton Rouge residents, helping participants understand and unlock the full power of City-Parish data — how to find it, what it includes, and how to use it to understand trends and improve quality of life in our community. In 2021, Mayor Broome announced the launch of an on-demand video series designed to take this same information and distill it into short, convenient YouTube video segments that residents can use to navigate the City-Parish’s vast data and GIS resources — regardless of their technical expertise. Access the series at brla.gov/dataacademy
