Citizen Data Lab is a research lab based at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It works on local issues through participatory data practices, bringing together researchers, designers, developers, artists, issue experts, citizens and students to explore how data is collected, interpreted and used in everyday urban life.
The lab’s core mission is twofold: to strengthen community-led approaches to data, and to improve public understanding of the role data plays in society. Its work combines participatory mapping, open-source tool development, and public engagement. Rather than treating data as a purely technical asset, Citizen Data Lab uses co-creation methods to incorporate local and tacit knowledge alongside expert input, aiming to produce a more nuanced and shared understanding of neighbourhood issues.
Its geographic focus is primarily local, with a strong emphasis on Amsterdam and its neighbourhoods. The lab’s activities have included projects on energy transition, urban nature, and community empowerment. It develops tools, methods, design objects and artworks, and shares publications and open-source resources to support bottom-up initiatives. One of its better-known applied projects is “Mapping the City,” a data platform and mobile application developed for the “Look! A healthy neighborhood” project, in collaboration with AUAS, RIVM, GGD, Eigenwijks and the Municipality of Amsterdam. The tool allows residents to collect data through routes and questions, with results stored in a central platform.
Citizen Data Lab is active as an interdisciplinary hub rather than a traditional service provider, linking academic research with civic participation and urban practice.