Citadel is an open data project co-funded by the EC to create a common European open data ecosystem. It aims to make it easy for cities to open data and for citizens and developers to use this data. The Citadel platform allows cities to open data by publishing CSV/Excel files that are converted to JSON format. Developers can then use this data to create mobile apps using the Application Generator Tool and common templates. The templates include apps for parking, events, points of interest, and environmental data. This approach aims to increase data reuse and demonstrate the value of open data through engaging apps.

1. Open, Convert, Use
The Citadel Open Data ecosystem

2. What is Citadel?
• Citadel is a project co-funded by the EC
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To create a common European open data ecosystem
To allow apps to be used in different cities
To make it easy to open up data (for cities)
To make it easy to use this data (for citizens and developers )
Not only through standards, but through easy and usable tools as well
Open
Convert
Use

3. Open
• Many governments are opening up data
• Citadel focuses on cities
– Strong links with local community
– But often lack in ICT budgets or know how (small cities)
– Strong demand for Open Data!!

5. Benefits
• Inform
– Allergies?
– Make it visible which trees will need to be cut soon
– Remarkable trees
• Engage citizens to identify risks, diseases
• Crowd-source the information in a timely manner
• Fun

6. What took us so long?
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We don’t check each tree every week
We don’t want to provide data that is inaccurate
We don’t have the exact geo-location for every tree.
We don’t know what the best format is to do so

7. CSV
The Swiss army knife of open data
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simple
common
non-proprietary
easy to export (from Ecxel)
readable
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8. CSV
CSV doesn’t always cut it
• Different delimiters (tabs, semicolons, commas)
– “F. Mercury; musician” ≠ “F. Mercury”; “Musician”
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Encoding hell (Greek characters?)
Different line endings on different operating systems
Often has markup, subtitles, etc…
No semantics (which column names are used in France?)

9. JRC Forest Map 2000. Source: EC-JRC – FRC Unit (earthzine.org)

10. Open
Convert
Use

11. Platform concept
• Open
– Anyone can do it: publishing Excel files is a good
start
• Convert
– Converter tools transform and publish CSV/Excel
files (the majority of datasets) as “live” JSON files
• Use
– The App Generator Tool allows you to immediately
use selected datasets

12. ODC architecture

13. Converter development
• Version 1: on-line PHP
– Test concept with partners and cities
– Quick & dirty, but very simple to understand
• Version 2: off-line Java
– More complex semantic functions
– More stable development, possible batch use
• Version 3: on-line Java
– Anytime, anywhere

14. Demo
Converter
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

15. Interaction with Cities
• Enthusiastic reaction (we got something right)
– 16 datasets converted over winter holidays
• Empowering civil servants as co-designers
– Experimenting with prototypes, betas
• Motivating for data quality
– Seeing the process end-to-end

16. Ecosystem development
• Converter enhancements
– Adaptations to convert other datasets
• New templates
– New templates can be developed for different
data structures (eg socio-economic data)
• Dataset enhancements
– “Rich” datasets (eg containing links in text fields)
can link to external functionalities (ie reservations)

17. Next Steps
• Mobile access
– Integration with AGT for on-the-fly conversions
• Support on-going day-to-day use
– Save semantic mappings for re-use
– Support batch processing
– Integrate with AGT dataset listings
• Continue co-design with pilots

18. Open
Convert
Use

19. Citadel lifecycle
Open
Convert
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014
Use

20. Data (re-)use
• Thousands of datasets are published every day
– by public and private sources
– in different formats
– in many different domains
• Is there any value in publishing them?
• Is it worth the effort/cost?
• How are they used?
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

21. Citadel approach
• Make it easy to publish data
• Make it easy for people to use data
• Quick and simple apps
– Increase the citizens’ innovation potential
– Demonstrate the value of the dataset
– Apps that can be used in different cities
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

22. How this is achieved
• Mobile application templates (for different
types of data)
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Parking
Events in the city
Points of Interest in the city
Crowd-sourcing Information
Environmental Data
• Application Generation Tool
– 4 steps to create an app
• Citadel Hub
– Documentation, resources, discussion forum
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

23. Citadel Mobile Application Templates
• Common template features:
– HTML5, jQuery mobile, php ( + mysql)
– Datasets in common JSON format
• Environmental uses Xively feeds
– 'Near-me' functionality using HTML5 geo-location feature
– Map and list views
– Category based filtering
• All categories loaded dynamically
– Back end functionality for storage
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

24. Parking places
• Information about the parking lots in a city
• List of total/available parking places
• List of places for disabled's people vehicles
• Variation: On-Street parking
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

25. Events in the city
• Different event
categories: festivals,
exhibitions,
presentations, etc.
• Detailed description of
each event: time, place,
fees, transportation,
pictures
• Filter by date
• Add to favorites
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

26. Points of Interest (PoIs) in the city
• Different categories of
PoIs: museums, hotels,
restaurants, etc.
• Filtering function
• Detailed description of
each PoI
• Voting mechanism
• Add to favorites
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

27. User-generated PoIs or crowd-sourced
information
• “Add new PoI”
functionality
• Different categories of
user-generated PoIs
• Detailed description of
each user-generated
PoI
• “Add to favourites”
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

28. Environmental data
• Xively feeds
• Environmental data for
different locations
(simulation of live feeds
for Athens and
Manchester).
• Available sensors shown
on the map
• Detailed page shows
environmental data for
each sensor (including
historical data)
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

29. Demo
AGT
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

30. Application Generation Tool
Screenshots 1/2
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

31. Application Generation Tool
Screenshots 2/2
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

32. In summary...
• The power of open data lies, not only on publishing,
but on re-using
 Public administrators become aware of what data
is useful or interesting for citizens
 The relationship between City officials and
citizens is strengthened
 The innovation potential of citizens increases in a
very participatory way
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

33. Thank you!
Open
Convert
Use
Thimo Thoeye (City of Gent)
Jesse Marsh (Alfamicro)
Evangelos Argyzoudis (Intrasoft Intl)
Data Days 2014, Ghent, 18 Feb 2014

34. Thank you for your attention
Thimo Thoeye (Stad Gent), thimothoeye@gmail.com
Jesse Marsh (Alfamicro), jesse@atelier.it
Leonardo Dal Zovo (Alfamicro), ldalzovo@gmail.com
Evangelos Argyzoudis (Intrasoft), evangelos.argyzoudis@intrasoft-intl.com
Leonidas Kallipolitis, l.kallipolitis@atc.gr