OpenDataPhilly is a Philadelphia-based catalog that helps people find open data about the city and surrounding region. It is also the City of Philadelphia’s official open-data repository, while extending beyond municipal records to include material from nonprofits, universities, businesses and other regional organizations.1510
The project began in 2010 and was built by Azavea, a Philadelphia geospatial software firm, in collaboration with the City.25 After years of pro bono support from Azavea, it became a standalone, volunteer-run organization in December 2023; the City also helps maintain the catalog.510 The site’s stated aims include improving access to information about Philadelphia, supporting government transparency and accountability, and helping residents understand regional trends.10
OpenDataPhilly catalogs more than 300 datasets, applications and APIs. Users can search by keyword or category, review details such as a source’s origins and update frequency, and follow links to download data or use an application or API.510 Its subject areas range from budgets, education and public safety to parks, planning, transportation and the environment.1
Examples show the catalog’s practical and historical reach: it includes neighborhood boundaries covering more than 150 Philadelphia neighborhoods, historic zoning maps from before the city’s 2012 zoning-code revision, and American Community Survey data for Philadelphia County, including tract- and block-group-level access.276 The project’s original developer was Azavea; the current infrastructure is managed by volunteers, and Robert Cheetham is listed as maintainer of the neighborhood-boundaries dataset.2