Open Data Week Events (2017–Present)

Fast Tracker Application & Data Development

NYC Planning has developed the Fast Tracker app to allow users to determine whether planned housing projects are eligible for the new citywide Green Fast Track rule. The rule streamlines housing production by allowing projects of a specific typology to simplify the environmental review process, while satisfying state and city environmental standards. The app integrates ESRI Experience Builder with Survey123 and Microsoft Power Automate so users can enter project criteria and determine eligibility under the rule. We will discuss developing the app in tandem with the rule, under a strict timeline and scope. This presentation will focus on how the app was developed, how data was collected, reviewed, and processed for inclusion in the app. We will also talk about how the app and data pipelines are maintained.

This presentation is part of the Open Data @ NYC Planning event.

Individuals: Matthew Croswell, GIS Team Lead/Open Data Coordinator, Department of City Planning; Jack Rosacker, Associate GIS Specialist, Department of City Planning; Casey Smith, Associate GIS Specialist, Department of City Planning; Damon McCullough, Data Engineering Team Lead, Department of City Planning | Organizations: Department of City Planning

2025

Hybrid

Presentation

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Mapping Community District Data Over Time using R

Comparing data from different census years can be a challenge due to changes in geographies. When those data are Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), it may be difficult to know where to start. In this presentation, Donnise Hurley from the NYC Department of City Planning will demonstrate step-by-step how to access PUMS data using the Census API, prepare data for analysis, harmonize older data into the 2020 PUMAs (approximate NYC’s Community Districts boundaries), and make an interactive map using a few lines of code. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of PUMS data, learn how to calculate margins of error and use them to create statistically reliable map categories, and learn data wrangling techniques.  All analyses will be conducted in R statistical software, but the techniques presented are transferrable to other programs.

Individuals: Donnise Hurley, Senior Geographic Analyst, Population Division, New York City Department of City Planning

2025

American Community Survey Public Use Microdata (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/microdata/access.html)

Hybrid

Presentation

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Open Data in Action: Driving Academic Research and Government Collaboration at Cornell Tech

Join us for an exciting set of back-to-back presentations featuring Cornell Tech researchers and practitioners as they share their real-world applications of NYC Open Data. This session offers a unique opportunity to explore how open data is being leveraged to address urban challenges, improve decision-making, and drive innovation across a variety of fields. Participants will gain valuable insights from experts who are actively shaping the future of NYC through data-driven solutions. 

This event is part of an Open Data Week series hosted by Cornell Tech— learn more below!

Presentations:
- The ABCs of a PiTech Fellow: Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Natural Language Processing (NLP), Block Party & Community Boards
- Breanna Green, PhD Candidate, Information Science, Cornell Tech
- Data-driven analyses and optimization of 311 systems: Applications to NYC Parks
- Zhi Liu, PhD Candidate, Operations Research and Information Engineering, Cornell Tech
- Data analysis and modeling of public building construction in New York City
- Sara Venkatraman, Senior Research Associate in Statistics, Weill Cornell Medical College
- Democratizing Policy Counterfactuals with AI: A deep dive into Local Law 97, NYC’s groundbreaking law to cut carbon emissions in its largest buildings
- Vianney Brandicourt, Urban Tech Fellow, Cornell Tech
- Analyzing the effects of congestion pricing using Open Data
- Nikhil Garg, Assistant Professor, Cornell Tech
- Predictive Maintenance for NYC Subway Lines
- Atmika Pai, MS Candidate, Information Systems, Jacobs Technion-Cornell
- Bhoomika Mehta, MS Candidate, Information Systems, Jacobs Technion-Cornell
- SenTree: Leveraging NYC Open Data to predict urban tree health
- Rishabh Surendran, MBA Candidate, Johnson Cornell Tech 

- - 
This event is part of an Open Data Week series hosted by Cornell Tech on Wednesday, March 26 from 5-8pm. We’d love for you to join us for both sessions— though it is not required! We’ll kick off at 5:00 pm with a hands-on Discovering NYC Open Data class from the Open Data Ambassadors, where you’ll learn the fundamentals of NYC Open Data. Following that, at 6:30 pm, Cornell Tech researchers and experts will discuss their real-world applications of open data, during Open Data in Action: Driving Academic Research and Government Collaboration at Cornell Tech. Join us for a post-event happy hour next door at Anything at All!

There are many easy ways to get to Cornell Tech, located on Roosevelt Island. For maps and directions see here.

Individuals: Nikhil Garg, Assistant Professor, Cornell Tech; Kate Nicholson, Public Interest Technology Initiative Partnerships and Program Director, Cornell Tech | Organizations: Cornell Tech

2025

Active Projects - Infrastructure (Historical) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/rukc-mmqu], Active Projects - Public Buildings (Historical) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/g9ub-hrve], Active Projects [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/3ss8-m844], 2015 Street Tree Census - Tree Data [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/uvpi-gqnh], 311 Service Requests from 2020 to Present [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/erm2-nwe9]

Hybrid

Presentation

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Corpus: Bodies of Data — Data Through Design Exhibition

Corpus: Bodies of Data is the 2025 exhibition of , an annual data art exhibition featuring works that creatively analyze, interpret, and interrogate data made available in NYC’s Open Data Portal. This public exhibition of 10 data-driven, interdisciplinary art projects is presented by DxD in partnership with BRIC.
“Corpus” carries multiple meanings. A corpus might be a body of work, knowledge, literature, or language – the embodiment of activity, values, or beliefs. Corpus can also mean a physical body, an aggregation of organisms, a group of elements or people, or the corporeal substance of a thing.  
This year, DxD asked artists to think about the concept of a corpus, or body of data, that can be physical or ephemeral. We imagine a dataset as a body of knowledge that indexes people in a community, events in a timeline, or observations in an area. But datasets are also representations of our bodies and the corpora of living things; collections of individuals, bodies of water, natural and human-made systems, the collectivity of the city. How are these bodies of knowledge born, how do they age, grow, and go through cycles – who animates them and do they expire? And, if we look closely enough, can we discern the shapes of individuals within these collectives? For DxD’s 2025 exhibition, we encouraged participating artists to consider “corpus” through its multiple meanings, such as a body, a dataset, a community, or an organism.

Organizations: Data Through Design (DxD)

2025

In-Person

Exhibition

Open Data Lightning Talk Showcase

Come to the NYC Office of Technology & Innovation offices on Friday, March 28 at 6PM for a lightning talk showcase, featuring open data use cases about the environment, web domains, trash cans, and film locations. Each of the presenters will have a few minutes to showcase their work, and this will be followed by an audience question-and-answer period.

The presentations:
- Arianna Zuanazzi - Exploring Child and Adolescent Mental Health in NYC: Insights from the Healthy Brain Network Open Dataset
- The Healthy Brain Network (HBN) is a large-scale open science initiative of the Child Mind Institute which releases multimodal datasets capturing a broad range of clinical psychopathology in children and adolescents based in NYC. For this event, we will briefly introduce the openly available phenotypic and neuroimaging HBN datasets and present data and visualizations that illustrate socio-economic status, neighborhood crime and safety, school risk, and mental health in NYC children and adolescents. We will then explore how the HBN dataset can be combined with datasets from NYC Open Data, such as air quality and pollution data.

- Surbhi Agrawal - Using Open Data to Map Regional Resiliency Risk and Assets
- Sasaki Associates has developed an innovative data platform to empower communities in mapping and understanding regional risks from natural hazards and stressors, alongside identifying critical community assets. Using open datasets, this platform visualizes data such as expected losses to populations, infrastructure, and agriculture, enabling informed decision-making for resilience planning.

- Frank Noirot - Mapping the trash can landscape in NYC with QGIS and Open Data
- I wondered how far people had to walk to the nearest litter basket anywhere in NYC, and thanks to the NYC OpenData portal I was able to make a map that does just that, even though I'm no data scientist! I wrote about my process in making the map here: https://franknoirot.co/posts/nyc-trashcan-map-qgis/. I want to encourage others who have questions about the environment they live in to take a search through NYC Open Data to see if there is a data set that fits their topic. They might be pleasantly surprised with what they find.


- Bailey Kane - Enriching NYC Open Data for .nyc Websites
- All .nyc domain registrations since the beginning of the program are logged in an NYC Open Data dataset. However, actual use of those registered domains is not tracked. I was curious how people are using .nyc domains, so I started AllOf.nyc (https://www.allof.nyc/) to explore all registered .nyc websites by expanding upon the data offered in the NYC Open Data dataset. 

- Cory D. Reeves - Simulating Soundscapes: NYC Open Data for Amplified On-Site Film Location Selection
- Filming in New York City presents unique challenges—permitting, logistics, and environmental sound control measures during production are some examples. Our award-winning prototype from Autodesk University 2024’s Design & Make Conference, Dynamo Day Hackathon leverages NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) x NYC Open Data structured film permit datasets within Autodesk Forma’s AI-powered noise analysis engine, creating real-time feasibility assessments to support film location selection. This solution enables production teams to evaluate potential filming sites more in-depth, and to-scale within dynamic, virtual 3D space before more costly on-location mobilization of film crews and production staff.

Make a night of it! Before the event, consider checking out the Data Through Design exhibition at BRIC (647 Fulton St, Brooklyn), which is a 10-15 minute walk from this event. Afterwards, join us for a happy hour a few blocks away at Sound & Fury Brewery and Kitchen (141 Lawrence St, Brooklyn).

Individuals: Surbhi Agrawal, Associate Planner and Data Scientist, Sasaki Associates; Bailey Kane, , ; Frank Noirot, , ; Cory D. Reeves, , Builders Circle, Inc.; Arianna Zuanazzi, Project Collaboration Specialist, Child Mind Institute

2025

DSNY Litter Basket Inventory [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/8znf-7b2c], Film Permits [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/tg4x-b46p], .nyc Domain Registrations [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/9cw8-7heb]

In-Person

Exhibition

Editing the Open Data Garden: Urban Environments and Civic Ecologies

You are invited to celebrate and document the vibrant urban ecologies of New York City in an engaging edit-a-thon event. This special day is dedicated to contributing to open data projects and expanding the digital landscape of urban agriculture through collaboration with experienced WikiNYC editors and open data enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned Wikipedia editor or new to the process, your knowledge and stories are welcome. Join us to help preserve and amplify the impact of these cherished green spaces!
Hosted By: Farming Concrete, Wikimedia NYC, Prime Produce, Seeds to Soil, Cafe 242 Hell's Kitchen

Introduction to Wikipedia and Open Data Editing: Learn how to edit Wikipedia and contribute to open data platforms with guidance from experienced editors and open data specialists. Projects will include:
- Open Street Map + Farming Concrete: Mapping community gardens and urban green spaces.
- WikiData and WikiBase: Adding and enhancing data about community gardens, land ownership, and urban environments.
- WikiSpore: Exploring creative documentation and storytelling.
- Open Source Flexibility: If you are interested in editing other open-source projects or platforms not explicitly listed, there will be opportunities to explore and work on them with available support.

Documentation and Story Sharing: Share your firsthand experiences and narratives about community gardens and farms, linking them to credible primary and secondary sources.
Open Data Exploration: Collaborate on projects related to land ownership, urban heat data, and civic ecology.
Contribute Your Visuals: Bring photographs, videos, and other media that capture the essence and beauty of community gardens to enrich the visual narrative.

Together, we’ll document, map, and celebrate community gardens—putting them on the global digital map!

What to Bring:
- Articles of Interest: Publications or written materials relevant to urban agriculture and community gardens.
- Lists and Ideas: A list of community gardens or related projects you’re interested in documenting.
- Photographs and Media: Any media or documentation to help visualize these spaces.
- Reference Sources: Bring any citations or resources to enhance the content.
- Devices: Laptops, tablets, or other devices for hands-on editing.
- Excitement: Bring your passion for learning, sharing, and building community!

Contact and Questions:
If you have any questions or ideas to share, reach out to kellystgreen@gmail.com.

Organizations: Farming Concrete , Wikimedia NYC, Prime Produce , Seeds to Soil

2025

Farming Concrete (https://farmingconcrete.org/barn/), Open Street Map (https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=4/38.01/-95.84), WikiData (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page), Oasis NYC (https://www.oasisnyc.net/mapisdown.html?aspxerrorpath=/garden/gardensearch.aspx)

In-Person

Workshop

Meet EMMA: Your Source for City of New York Financial Data

Leah Szarek, MSRB

2019

Protect Your Data Online

Jeff Lambert, Queens Library

2019

Webinar: What the Heck is Time-Series Data?

Lindsay Hooper, Timescale

2019

Innovative Strategies for Increasing Equity and Access to High School Readiness Initiatives

Mark Erlenwein, Staten Island Technical High School

2019

Healing through truth in Data

this will be afternoon of interactive data, sharing interpretation, and healing. That will be life, painting panel, discussions, video presentation of data. We will look at data through optic lenses. Of community safety., the prices of inflation, medical racism, affordability. AI and technology and Howard plays a role in moving forward for generations to come.. interactive conversations. My hope is that you will leave interested in truth and data and going home to your homes and communities to make changes in strides. And how we heal and what is possible.

Organizations: Silent Cry Inc

2025

healing the truth and data (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0C1oVzF_el4YO9CC7gu7Wp_uB6IqqltEeQMj2PWQk9BvG2w/viewform)

In-Person

Other

DATA, POWER AND JUSTICE: The State of Open Data for Culture and Arts in NYC

Too often, the data that define our arts and culture sector fail to reflect its full diversity, leaving smaller and BIPOC-led organizations struggling to fit into rigid frameworks that overlook the depth and nuance of their impact. Open data—the practice of making datasets publicly accessible to increase transparency, accessibility, and innovation—has the potential to create a more equitable and informed arts ecosystem. However, without critical oversight, it can just as easily reinforce existing inequities rather than dismantle them.
If you’re an artist, cultural worker, organizer, advocate, funder, or policymaker concerned about how data shapes (or distorts) the narrative of our sector, join us for a candid panel discussion on the state of open data in NYC’s arts and culture landscape. We’ll unpack the realities of data collection and lay the groundwork for a collaborative effort to develop an Open Data Ecosystem that truly reflects the power and diversity of our cultural communities.
This event will feature a presentation of a recent study by the Culture & Arts Policy Institute, exploring the challenges and opportunities of leveraging open data to strengthen the cultural sector, enhance data literacy, and promote best practices across the city.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/data-power-and-justice-the-state-of-open-data-for-culture-arts-in-nyc-tickets-1277978611429

Organizations: Culture and Arts Policy Institute

2025

DCLA Cultural Organizations [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/u35m-9t32], DCLA Programs Funding [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/y6fv-k6p7], Completed Percent for Art projects with artist information [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/gzdv-qiga]

In-Person

Panel Discussion

Waterfront Data: Bridging Science & Community on Randall's Island

Join Randall’s Island Park Alliance and New York Sea Grant for a discussion on data sharing in the environmental field. Olivia Smith, Park-as-Lab Coordinator, will present on ongoing environmental monitoring projects on Randall’s Island, focusing on waterfront stewardship. The Park-as-lab website will be used as a model for sharing long-term datasets. Catherine Prunella, Water Quality Extension Specialist, will highlight community datasets on flooding and marine debris through the New York Sea Grant interactive dashboard. The event emphasizes the importance of community engagement in collecting environmental data and fostering collaboration among community members, non-profits, and academics. 
After the discussion, join a brief guided tour of the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh to see a restored ecosystem and participate in a microplastic sampling demo. All those interested in environmental science, community data collection, and ecological restoration are welcome!

Individuals: Olivia Smith , Park-as-Lab Coordinator , Randall's Island Park Alliance ; Catherine Prunella , Water Quality Extension Specialist , New York Sea Grant | Organizations: Randall's Island Park Alliance , New York Sea Grant

2025

Data Repository (https://randallsisland.org/repository ), MyCoast (https://mycoast.org/ny )

In-Person

Presentation

Mapeando el Ecosistema Literario en Español de NYC: Datos para la Industria del Libro en la era de la IA

Únete a este evento para explorar el ecosistema editorial en español de Nueva York a través de una perspectiva de datos. Esta sesión interactiva presentará los hallazgos iniciales de nuestro mapeo de editoriales, librerías, bibliotecas y autores que trabajan en español, destacando tanto los datos existentes como las brechas críticas de información. Dirigida por Juan Pablo Marín Díaz (Datasketch) y Viviana Castiblanco (editora), examinaremos cómo una mejor recolección y compartición de datos podría fortalecer las conexiones entre autores, editores y lectores en la comunidad literaria hispana de NYC.
La sesión combinará visualización de datos con conocimientos de la industria, presentando perspectivas de editores, libreros y autores en español basados en NYC. Los participantes tendrán la oportunidad de contribuir a identificar áreas prioritarias para futuras recolecciones de datos y discutir enfoques colaborativos para construir conjuntos de datos abiertos más completos sobre la publicación en español en NYC.
Este evento es ideal para editores, libreros, bibliotecarios, autores y cualquier persona interesada en la literatura en español o datos culturales. Ya sea un profesional editorial que toma decisiones con visibilidad limitada, un entusiasta de los datos interesado en aplicaciones culturales, o un miembro de la comunidad involucrado en la literatura en español, únase a nosotros para ayudar a mapear y fortalecer este ecosistema cultural vital.

This event will be held in Spanish. Attendance is limited, and registration is required to confirm your place. Only registered guests will be admitted.

Individuals: Viviana Castiblanco, Spanish Editor, ; Juan Pablo Marin Diaz, CEO, | Organizations: Datasketch

2025

Library [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/p4pf-fyc4], Queens Library Branches [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/kh3d-xhq7], LIBRARY [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/feuq-due4], NYC City Hall Library Catalog [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/gysc-yn4h], Facilities Database - Shapefile [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/2fpa-bnsx], Facilities Database [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/ji82-xba5], BP Appointments - Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) Board [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/q7f5-jwds], New York Public Library (NYPL) Branch Services from 7-2010 to 6-2011 [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/ne9z-skhf], BPL Electronic Resources [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/b7t4-zm44], facilities [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/67g2-p84d], BPL Branches [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/xmzf-uf2w], NYPL Branch Services - Manhattan [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/3nja-bsch], NYPL Branch Services - Bronx [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/pfys-fabf], NYC Wi-Fi Hotspot Locations [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/yjub-udmw], Public Restrooms (Operational) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/vzrx-zg6z], NYPL Branch Services - Staten Island [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/wibz-uqui], Public Restrooms [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/i7jb-7jku], Published Audit List [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/nekg-b6tw], Imagery and Map Services [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/kmt4-jkta], Citywide Public Computer Centers [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/sejx-2gn3], Government Publication - Required Reports [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/9azj-tmjp], Government Publications Listing [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/xip9-pe9k], NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) State And Federal Categorical Aid, FY 1980 - 2020 [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/fu34-wamz], Medical Non-production for Clinic Appointments [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/5n4h-km5r], Local Law 18 Pay and Demographics Report - Agency Report Table [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/423i-ukqr], Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 2016 (Data for Calendar Year 2015) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/77q4-nkfh], Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 2017 (Data for Calendar Year 2016) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/utpj-74fz], Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 2014 (Data for Calendar Year 2013) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/yr5p-wjer], Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 2015 (Data for Calendar Year 2014) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/nbun-wekj], NYC Building Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 2023 to Present (Data for Calendar Year 2022-Present) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/5zyy-y8am]

NYC Independent Bookstores Community Directory (https://nycbookstores.org), US Census Bureau American Community Survey Language Statistics (https://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/language/)

In-Person

Panel Discussion

NYC Trash Can Data Driven Walk of the Lower East Side

By the end of this 60-to-90-minute data driven, historically rich, Trash Can Lower East Side walking tour and networking event, participants will witness, hear and see how freely available, seemingly dissociative data points can be leveraged by social organizations, businesses, community development agencies, entrepreneurs and students to generate new ideas and out of the box thinking
Like deciphering secret messages, event participants will hear how data wranglers and on the ground researchers from Baruch College and New York University of Professional Studies combined present and past data to create this data rich walk.  
Inspired by litter can placement data from the Department of Sanitation, the walk will show how people can overlay unusual, seemingly disparate data sources, like the placement of trash cans, the health status of trees, the placement of monuments, museums and galleries, volunteer, civic engagement information, etc. to find places of interest, create new community gathering places, identify community needs, or even new places for food carts and businesses based on foot traffic.
The walk begins at 12pm at Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys at 375 Grand Street – near the corner of Grand and Essex Streets - winding through the Lower East side to Allen Street on the West and Ludlow Street on the East, ending at Loisada located at 710 East 9th Street around 2pm. Networking and presentations will take place at Loisada from 2pm to 3pm.

Individuals: Joshua Moritz, Lecturer and assistant adjunct professor, Baruch College/New York University School of Professional Studies; Julia Ciesla (Baruch College), Sumedha Moturu (Baruch College) , Putri Prabowo (Baruch College), Daniel Magarino (Baruch College), Saral Tewari (Baruch College), Andrew Glasser (NYU School of Professional Studies), Moksha Shah (Baruch College), Dhruvi Desai (NYU SPS); Rafael Taiar (data scientist), and Joshua Moritz (Baruch College Lecturer, NYU SPS adjunct)

2025

DSNY Litter Basket (Map) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/d6m8-cwh9], 2015 Street Tree Census - Tree Data [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/uvpi-gqnh], NYC Parks Monuments [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/6rrm-vxj9], Public Design Commission Outdoor Public Art Inventory [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/2pg3-gcaa]

In-Person

Tour

Make Your 3D Data Viz Map

As media today is shifting to web-based and digital-first, there is huge potential for higher dimensional data visualization to play its role in innovative storytelling. In this session, we’ll discuss advantages of 3D visualizations and learn from real-world use cases, including a 3D map of Scaffolding in NYC. We’ll also gain hands-on experience by walking through the procedure to create a 3D geospatial data visualization with PyDeck, a layer-structured python library. Learn to quickly develop and prototype exploratory visualizations and see your data from new perspectives. This session is moderated by Yanan Sun, Local News Researcher at UNC-Chapel Hill, and co-hosted by Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School.

IMPORTANT: This event is on Columbia campus. Please RSVP to help us get you access!

Individuals: Yanan Sun, Local News Researcher, UNC-Chapel Hill | Organizations: Tow Center for Digital Journalism

2025

DOB Permit Issuance [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/ipu4-2q9a]

In-Person

Workshop

A Conversation with MTA Data & Analytics (NYC School of Data)

In this panel, data engineers and data scientists on MTA's Data & Analytics team will answer your burning questions about the MTA, Data, and Analytics! Curious about how the open data MTA publishes makes it way to data.ny.gov? Interested in how bus speeds are calculated? Or maybe you just want to know more about what's it's like to work with data at America's largest transit agency? The session will be facilitated by Hannah Spierer, Senior Manager Policy & Coordination.

Individuals: Lisa Mae Fiedler, Manager, Open Data, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Hannah Spierer, Senior Manager, Policy & Coordination, Metropolitan Transportation Authority | Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

2025

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Panel Discussion

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OSCUR: A Platform for Understanding Urban Data - Demonstration and Introduction (NYC School of Data)

OSCUR brings together data science (visualization, data management, analytics, modeling, HCI), policy, and engineering (sustainable & resilient urban infrastructure, network science) to tackle important scientific questions and help urban data analytics efforts around the world. We will discuss the platform and demo two example applications.
UTK: Using the Urban Toolkit (UTK) we will provide and interactive tutorial demonstration that shows how eight different datasets from NYC Open Data portal  (including crime and noise reports; restaurants, parks, and subway locations; sky exposure; school quality reports and taxi pickups) can be used to create an integrated map-based visualization to help us to better understand the uniqueness of different neighborhoods. We will provide preprocessed datasets and shapefiles, and walk participants through the creation of "knots" that attach data from each of the loaded datasets to a neighborhood in the interactive map. (https://urbantk.org/utk/)
Curio: Using Curio we will demonstrate how to conduct a micro-scale environmental analysis, using Milan as a test case. We will first show how weather data are loaded into Curio and create a spatial join to link the data to the neighborhoods of Milan. We will then show how to calculate the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), and create linked visualizations to highlight neighborhoods with high UTCI and a large population of older adults. This example will be used to show how the Curio framework supports collaborative urban visual analytics more generally. (https://urbantk.org/curio/)
Other OSCUR related projects include: 
· Project Sidewalk (https://makeabilitylab.cs.washington.edu/project/sidewalk/) 
Our NYC research has been featured in NY Times:
· Mapping the Shadows of New York City: Every Building, Every Block (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/21/upshot/Mapping-the-Shadows-of-New-York-City.html)
· The Coronavirus Quieted City Noise. Listen to What’s Left. (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/22/upshot/coronavirus-quiet-city-noise.html)

Individuals: Fabio Miranda, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Chicago; Graham Dove, Assistant Professor, New York University | Organizations: OSCUR

2025

Multiple NYC Open Data examples (https://opendata.cityofnewyork.us)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Open Data in Action: Tracking New York City’s Progress Toward Closing Rikers Island (NYC School of Data)

Join us for an in-depth presentation on the New York City Jail Population Tracker — a cutting-edge, open-source dashboard that brings real-time data to life. This powerful tool monitors the city’s jail population, provides forward-looking projections, and offers crucial context on New York City’s plan to close Rikers Island. Designed as a one-stop resource, the dashboard delivers daily insights that help public officials, advocates, researchers, and the public track the city’s progress — or lack thereof — in fulfilling its commitment to closing the jails on Rikers Island.

In this session, you’ll explore:
- The Story Behind the Numbers: Background on Rikers Island, the #CloseRikers campaign, and ongoing efforts for reform and decarceration.
- Building the Dashboard: A behind-the-scenes look at how NYC’s Open Data API, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Python, and Streamlit came together to create this user-friendly, data-driven tool.
- Data in Action: An interactive demonstration of the dashboard, with insights into the current and projected state of NYC’s jail population — including breakdowns by race, gender, and mental health service needs.

Speakers include Elizabeth Johnson, Data Scientist and lead creator of the dashboard; Tao (Richie) Lin, Data Manager and dashboard co-developer, Data Collaborative for Justice; Sarita Daftary, Co-Director, Freedom Agenda; and Michael Rempel, Director, Data Collaborative for Justice.

Whether you’re a policymaker, data enthusiast, or advocate for criminal justice reform, this session offers a unique opportunity to see how open data and technology can drive transparency and change. Don’t miss this chance to learn, engage, and be part of the conversation.

➡️ Explore the Dashboard: https://nyc-jail-population-tracker.datacollaborativeforjustice.org/
➡️ Read DCJ Director Michael Rempel’s latest Op-Ed on research-backed solutions to empower officials to meet the closure deadline: https://lnkd.in/eMhAR7DV

Individuals: Elizabeth Johnson, Data Scientist, ; Tao (Richie) Lin , Data Manager, Data Collaborative for Justice; Sarita Daftary, Co-Director, Freedom Agenda; Michael Rempel, Director, Data Collaborative for Justice | Organizations: Data Collaborative for Justice

2025

Daily Inmates In Custody [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/7479-ugqb], NYPD Complaint Data Historic [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/qgea-i56i], NYPD Arrests Data (Historic) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/8h9b-rp9u]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Analyzing Flood Insurance Claim Trends in New York City: Insights from FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program Data (NYC School of Data)

What can we learn about NYC's flood risk and flood insurance claims from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data? How can combining NFIP claims data with datasets like 311 street flooding complaints uncover new insights?

Join Mark Bauer and Tiffany Cousins, two civic-minded data enthusiasts, to explore key trends and relationships in FEMA’s NFIP redacted claims data for NYC, investigating how these trends align with broader flood risk and urban dynamics. We aim to answer the following questions:
- How can we analyze trends in the number and amount of NFIP claims over time?
- What are the most costly flood events, and how do they impact flood risk management?
- How can we map the geographic distribution of claims, while being mindful of the limitations with redacted data?
- What can we learn by integrating NFIP claims data with NYC’s 311 street flooding complaints to identify areas of vulnerability?

The ultimate goal is to equip participants with the skills to use Python, SQL, and DuckDB for analyzing NFIP data, while also providing a deep understanding of NYC's flood risk.

The primary takeaway is how insights from FEMA’s NFIP claims data can drive urban policy decisions, improve flood risk management, and help stakeholders make data-driven choices.

Who should attend? This session is designed for individuals with beginner-level proficiency in data analysis, as well as those interested in flood insurance and urban flood risk. Prior experience with the following will be helpful but is not required:
- Interest in FEMA NFIP data and the OpenFEMA API
- Learning about urban flood risk and data-driven risk analysis
- Basic Python or SQL programming and working with geospatial data

The GitHub repo and presentation website will be launched the day before the event.

Individuals: Mark Bauer, , ; Tiffany Cousins, ,

2025

OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v2 (https://www.fema.gov/openfema-data-page/fima-nfip-redacted-claims-v2)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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How Crosswalk Labs Maps Nationwide Neighborhood-Level CO2 Emissions Data and Benchmarks to NYC Building Energy and Water Data (NYC School of Data)

Crosswalk Labs tracks greenhouse gas emissions over time with unprecedented resolution — scouring hundreds of data sources, running constrained optimization protocols on billions of data points, and bench-marking the results against atmospheric measurements. With support from the Data Foundation, Crosswalk Labs launched an open data portal at open.crosswalk.io, providing free access to neighborhood-level emissions data from 2010-2023.

Director of Solutions Architecture, Danny Sheehan, will present with a member of the Crosswalk Labs climate science team. Individuals and organizations interested in greenhouse gas emissions, energy, and climate science should attend.

We'll present some information on how we source, model and share emissions data, how anyone can access Crosswalk Labs data, and how they can use Crosswalk Labs Open Inventory data. Additionally, since there is some modeled emissions data for some sectors, Crosswalk Labs uses national open data as well as local NYC open data such as NYC Building Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 from NYC Open Data. We will also present how Crosswalk Labs modeled energy and emissions data compare and benchmark against this useful open data provided by NYC.

Individuals: Danny Sheehan, Director of Solutions Architecture, Crosswalk Labs | Organizations: Crosswalk Labs

2025

NYC Building Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 2023 to Present (Data for Calendar Year 2022-Present) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/5zyy-y8am]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

{"url":"https://youtu.be/qwLMvJn3gY4?si=YJPpGTs0033s43N9","description":"https://youtu.be/qwLMvJn3gY4?si=YJPpGTs0033s43N9"}

International Open Data Ecosystems – City of Buenos Aires and City of New York

Martín Alalú, NYC/City of Buenos Aires Open Data Teams

2019

Demystifying SQL Through Visual Data

Jeff Lambert, Queens Library

2019

From Open Data to Data Collaboratives: The Case for Data Stewardship

The need to steer the process of using public and private data ethically, responsibly, and manage the insights it can generate as we tackle some of society’s biggest challenges, demands a new role which suits to purpose: Data Stewards.

Andrew Young, The GovLab

2019

Congestion Pricing: Data Lessons From the First Three Months (NYC School of Data)

On January 5th, New York began an ambitious effort to reshape how people and vehicles share the public space of our city streets. With tolling equipment now operational below 60th Street, it is also the very first time that the public has access to detailed data about how vehicles enter the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) each day.

In this talk, you will hear from the MTA Data & Analytics team, who will be sharing key findings and lessons from the first three months of Congestion Pricing. Beyond top-line findings, they also introduce newly released Open Datasets, allowing participants to understand with their own eyes - and with their own data - how this program is reshaping traffic within NYC.

Participants who have a passion for Open Data, or have a specific interest in New York's newest urban policy, should join for a lively technical discussion.
https://www.mta.info/article/most-detailed-view-of-nyc-traffic-so-far

Individuals: Matt Yarri, Data Science Manager, MTA | Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

2025

MTA Congestion Relief Zone Vehicle Entries (https://data.ny.gov/Transportation/MTA-Congestion-Relief-Zone-Vehicle-Entries-Beginni/t6yz-b64h)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Ranked Choice Voting in the Big Apple (NYC School of Data)

This session will explore New York City’s experience with Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) since its implementation in 2021. I will present key findings from the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s (CFB) research on the 2021 and 2023 RCV primaries, shedding light on how voters engaged with this new system.

The panel will begin with a brief history of RCV and its introduction to NYC’s special and primary elections, where it has been used to elect the Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and City Council members. We’ll explore how this voting method has shaped electoral outcomes and voter participation in the city. Attendees will also gain an understanding of the Cast Vote Record (CVR)—an anonymized dataset that captures individual ballot rankings, allowing for in-depth analysis of voter behavior. We’ll provide an overview of how CVRs are structured and how they can be used to assess the impact of RCV. Finally, we’ll examine New York City’s performance in its first two RCV primary elections. This includes insights into how voters utilized their rankings, common ballot errors, comparisons with other major cities using RCV, and the role of demographics and voting behaviors in ranking choices. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of NYC’s evolving electoral landscape!

Organizations: New York City Campaign Finance Board

2025

Cast Vote Record (https://www.vote.nyc/page/election-results-summary-2023)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Data Comics Workshop (NYC School of Data)

With NYC open data as your raw material, join Kelly Dinneen of the BetaNYC Associate Board to learn practical techniques for drafting nonfiction comics and join a collaborative experiment in using sequential art to engage with civic data.

We'll begin by exploring a few NYC open datasets ripe for narrative and visual interpretation. Then we will discuss comic works that clarify complex systems, give voice to competing perspectives, and create unique pairings of the concrete and abstract. During the hands-on portion of the workshop, we will move through a series of iterative activities with our chosen datasets—data exploration, visual inspiration, free writing, and doodling—where visual, textual, and analytical elements inform one another. You will leave with the draft of a mini comic, and the tools and inspiration to continue developing your project.

Individuals: Kelly Dinneen, Co-Chair, BetaNYC Associate Board

2025

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Workshop

Learn NYC Zoning with Open Data, Paper Models, and Augmented Reality! (NYC School of Data)

Learning about Zoning can be intimidating-- let's use open data to make it more approachable, literally! In 1916, New York City became the first city in the United States to adopt a comprehensive zoning resolution. New York City's zoning is unique because it uses a rich tapestry of zoning districts and regulations to address specific conditions in different areas.

What if we could make this tapestry visible from the street? How should it look?

The team from inCitu AR and NYC zoning expert Pablo Sepúlveda from Urban analytics platform Zlvas are collaborating to host this interactive design challenge. No prior zoning, crafting, or coding experience required!
Participants will:

- Learn NYC Zoning 101
- Use craft materials to make handmade zoning envelopes
- Scan and view them outside in life-sized augmented reality!
- Discuss how to help more people understand zoning, and best visualize it in the era of spatial computing

Individuals: Nick Kaufmann, Community Manager, inCitu; Pablo Sepúlveda, Founder / Zoning Lead, zlvas; Sydney Upchurch, Head of Growth and Operations, inCitu; Lizzy Chiappini, Product Designer, inCitu; Ziv Schneider, Head of Design, inCitu | Organizations: inCitu, zlvas

2025

Department of Finance Digital Tax Map [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/smk3-tmxj], Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output (PLUTO) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/64uk-42ks], Individual Landmark Sites (Map) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/ts56-fkf5]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Workshop

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Where does NYC Garbage Go? It is now possible to know! (NYC School of Data)

In July 2024, the NYC Department of Sanitation added several new datasets to Open data that help tell the story of where garbage goes. These datasets provide data on the annual tons of refuse sent to each of the transfer stations used by DSNY, as well as details on the landfills and WTE combustors that receive those tons go after they leave the transfer station. The data presented in three tables that can be linked to show the quantities of NYC trash that flow through transfer stations and on to different disposal locations. The tables also show information on costs, travel distances, and modes of transportation.

In conjunction with two additional datasets already existing on Open Data, it is possible to estimate the flow of refuse from an individual district through the transfer station and on to specific disposal sites outside the city. This is the closest New Yorkers have ever come to being able to follow their trash on an ongoing basis. Knowing this information puts fresh perspective on what it means to dispose of your trash; and how doing other things with it -- like recycling, composting, donating, reusing and reducing -- is a better option.

This presentation will tell the story of how these datasets were requested and ultimately put up on NYC Open Data, and will provide a "how to" primer on using and interpreting the information in maps and nonspatial analysis. This information is especially relevant to residents of disadvantaged communities in NYC where waste transfer stations cluster, and to activists in community composting, urban agriculture, and local reuse enterprise who see NYC's zero waste future as one in which materials are kept local to the extent possible, and risks are not exported to other communities.

Individuals: Samantha MacBride, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Baruch College, CUNY; Matthew Eshed, Climate Innovation Consultant, N/A; Jane Wu, Waste Management Export, N/A; Andrew Goh, Data Analyst, N/A; Shen Xin, Urban Data Scientist and Planner, N/A

2025

DSNY Disposal Sites Used by Facilities by Year [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/99xv-he3n], DSNY Disposal Facilities Used by Year [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/6r9j-qrwz], Location of Disposal Facilities and Sites Used for DSNY-Managed Waste [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/ufxk-pq9j], DSNY Districts With Disposal Vendor Assignments [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/fpv2-r9br]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

{"url":"https://youtu.be/Ck5zSVvn59U?si=hy40_5R0wo2zQJWM","description":"https://youtu.be/Ck5zSVvn59U?si=hy40_5R0wo2zQJWM"}

How to Advocate for a Stop Sign: 311, Open Data, AI and more!

What do you do when you want a new stop sign in your neighborhood? Join Josh Sucher, lifelong Brooklynite, occasional UX researcher and frequent pothole reporter, on a deep dive into the wild world of traffic calming advocacy. We'll talk about bringing together 311, NYC Open Data, computer vision algorithms and even NY's freedom-of-information law to grease the wheels of bureaucracy.

Josh Sucher, Creative Technologist & UX Researcher,

2024

Motor Vehicle Collisions - Crashes [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/h9gi-nx95]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Defending Affordable & Stable Housing: Progress and Problems (NYC School of Data)

In this multi-specialist panel, doctoral students from the CUNY Graduate Center will discuss how access to, and the experience of, long-term housing in NYC has changed as a result of open data sources available in the city.

This will include a presentation by Sam O'Hana, doctoral candidate in English and Advising Fellow in Data Analysis and Visualization, who will discuss the publicly-available repositories of information (DHCR, HPD, DOB, DOF) that are necessary to challenge illegal deregulation of rent stabilized apartments in the city. He will share updates from a pending lawsuit against his landlord in the NYS Supreme Court.

We will also hear from Ian Williams, MSW, a doctoral student in Social Work with a background as a social worker involved in issues surrounding tenancy, governance structures and open source digital resources.

The third panelist will be Holden Taylor, doctoral candidate in English and Organizer for the Brooklyn Eviction Defense Tenant Union, who will present work relevant to his dissertation on the issue of housing, including the use of open data for tenant organizing.

Individuals: Sam O'Hana, English Doctoral Program, CUNY Graduate Center; Ian Williams, Social Welfare Program, CUNY Graduate Center; Holden Taylor, English Doctoral Program, CUNY Graduate Center

2025

DOB (https://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/bispi00.jsp), Who Owns What (https://whoownswhat.justfix.org/en/)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Panel Discussion

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Using Data for Budget Transparency with IBO: Stormwater Fees, Police Overtime Trends, and the State of NYC's Public Education (NYC School of Data)

The NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) aims to enhance understanding of New York City’s budget, public policy, and economy through independent analysis. We leverage Open Data in numerous ways to achieve this goal. IBO researchers will present 3 separate projects that used Open Data:
- Brian Cain (Assistant Director) modeled the cost and burden of potential stormwater fees in NYC using geographic data;
- Valerie Gudino (Budget and Policy Analyst) researched IBO police overtime trends, specifically the relationship between NYPD tenure and hours of OT usage of uniform NYPD personnel in fiscal year 2024 using tabular data; finally,
- Emma Gossett (Budget and Policy Analyst) compiled NYC Education Indicators using Department of Education student-level data that is now available Open Data.

This event is perfect for anyone interested in data-driven policy analysis, or the specific areas of environmental, public safety, or education policy. IBO will present all three projects then take audience questions.

Individuals: Jordan Paige, Budget and Policy Analyst, NYC IBO; Valerie Gudino, Budget and Policy Analyst, NYC IBO; Emma Gossett, Budget and Policy Analyst, NYC IBO | Organizations: NYC Independent Budget Office

2025

DEP's Citywide Parcel-Based Impervious Area GIS Study [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/uex9-rfq8], Citywide Payroll Data (Fiscal Year) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/k397-673e]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Best of the MTA Open Data Challenge (NYC School of Data)

In the fall of 2024, the MTA launched its first ever Open Data Challenge, calling on members of the public to build something cool and interesting with an open dataset on data.ny.gov. The datasets used and a description of each project is available in this blog post. In a lightning round of presentations, you'll hear for all finalists in the challenge who explored MTA open data and used it in creative ways!

The presenters in this hour include:
Are NYC Subway Stops Ready for Every Student? – Huda Ayaz, Olivia Fratangelo, and Taseen Islam
The Museum of Transversal Art – Bianca Ng
Lately on the MTA – Noah Gunther
If you Give a Rat a MetroCard – Will Meyers
Subway Stories – Jediah Katz and Marc Zitelli

Individuals: Lisa Mae Fiedler, Manager, Open Data, Metropolitan Transportation Authority | Organizations: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

2025

MTA Open Data (www.data.ny.gov)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Search Every Word on NYC Streets (NYC School of Data)

Join software engineer Yufeng Zhao for a session combining technical insights with hands-on practice in creating searchable collections of urban text. Yufeng will first share how they built "all text in nyc" (https://alltext.nyc) - a search engine that lets you find any text visible in New York City's streetscape, from shop signs to graffiti.

The session is split into two parts: First, there will be a demonstration of how to collect and process panoramic images, implemented OCR on curved text, and created a geographic search interface. Then, we'll roll up our sleeves for a hands-on workshop where you'll use an open-source library to create your own small collection of searchable street text.

This session is perfect for civic technologists, urban researchers, and anyone interested in discovering new ways to document and analyze our city's textual landscape. No advanced programming experience required - if you can run a Python script, you're ready to participate!

Individuals: Yufeng Zhao, Senior Software Engineer, Brilliant.org

2025

all text in nyc (https://alltext.nyc)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Workshop

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NYC Public Space: Building a mobile map of 3000 public spaces in New York City (NYC School of Data)

New York City is filled with hidden plazas, pocket parks, and vibrant gathering spots—not all of which show up the same way on google maps? NYC Public Space is a mobile app for iOS and Android that aggregates open government data to present a comprehensive guide to the city’s public spaces.
Join Chris Whong - urbanist, mapmaker, and data junkie - for an inside look at how the app was created, from leveraging NYC’s open data resources to designing an intuitive, user-friendly map experience using the Mapbox Maps SDK for Flutter. We’ll explore the challenges of working with government datasets, our approach to crowdsourcing updates, and how you can use the app to discover new places to relax, work, or socialize. Whether you're a city explorer, an urbanist, or a developer interested in civic tech, this session will show you how open data can transform the way we experience public space.

Individuals: Chris Whong, Civic Hacker O.G.,

2025

Parks Properties [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/enfh-gkve], Schoolyard to Playgrounds [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/dbmp-698d], NYC DOT Pedestrian Plazas - Point Feature [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/5dck-9m6g]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Exhibition

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Data – A Driving Force of Innovation

Connect with us to discover how organizations and entrepreneurs are utilizing data to drive innovation within our local community. Learn the practices, technologies, and patterns the experts use to fuel their enterprises by way of big data

College of Staten Island (CSI) Tech Incubator, Vizalytics

2017

Pulling Out All the Stops for a Stop Sign: Lessons From a Long and Winding Road (NYC School of Data)

Following up on last year's talk summarizing three years of work pursuing an all-way stop sign in one little corner in Brooklyn, join Josh Sucher and Roisin Ford to talk about the softer side of hard data. We'll review lessons learned from a year of working closely with and persuading neighbors, safe-street advocates and local officials whose on-the-ground work is just as important - if not more important - to the fight as open data.
Only through the support of low-tech activism have we made incremental pedestrian safety improvements in our neighborhood in the past year, including a walkabout with our local city councilwoman and Brooklyn DOT commissioner, and - yes! - at least one new traffic signal added to our boulevard.
Learn about how we've married this activism with the right open data at the right time in order to supercharge our efforts, and bring these lessons back to your own neighborhoods!

Individuals: Josh Sucher, , ; Roisin Ford, ,

2025

Motor Vehicle Collisions - Crashes [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/h9gi-nx95]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Navigating the NYC Open Data Infrastructure for Community-Based Organizations: A conversation (NYC School of Data)

Join us for a conversation on using open data for community based organizations. In this lively panel we will consider big questions about local data. This panel features Yuki Mitsuda from NYC Housing Preservation and Development, Kevin Lee, the director of data analytics from Breakinground, Inc and Angelica Bravo, the director of data, evaluation and learning from University Settlement. How can these organizations with limited data capabilities leverage open data infrastructure to help demonstrate success? Can open data be utilized more effectively to help meet communities needs? When should a community based organization turn to open data to support the development of new programming? These and other important open data questions will be considered.

Individuals: Lauri Goldkind, Professor, Fordham University; Kevin Lee, Director of Data Analytics, Breaking Ground; Angelica Bravo, Director of Data, Evaluation & Learning, University Settlement; Yuki Mitsuda, Manager, Analytics & Data Strategy, NYC Housing Preservation

2025

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Panel Discussion

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Mapping Urban Ecologies: The Need for Data for Achieving Biodiverse Places (NYC School of Data)

NYC is in need of adapting its neighborhoods to become more climate positive. This includes needing to better integrate nature back into the urban fabric to achieve more sustainable and resilient outcomes. The challenge though is that there is not enough coherent data available in NYC to truly map biodiversity, making it a challenge to plan and design for ecological systems. This session will explore how NYC approaches mapping our natural areas, understand where the gaps are, and discuss how we can get the information needed to build the datasets needed to achieve transforming our neighborhoods into places for biodiversity.

This session has been organized by APA New York Metro Technology Committee, Urban Design Forum, and BetaNYC

Individuals: Andrew Buck, Senior Urban Planner & Technologist, VHB; Novem Auyeung, Director of Research & Monitoring, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation; Kirk Gordon, Landscape Designer, SCAPE ; Michael Treglia, Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy; Naeema Haque, Development & Strategy Manager, BetaNYC

2025

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Panel Discussion

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Turnout for What: An Exploration of Voter Engagement Using Open Data (NYC School of Data)

According to recent articles, NYC ranks amongst the lowest of major cities in voter turnout. In response to this, voting analytics team members from the Harris presidential campaign wanted to explore how to translate ideas for boosting turnout into questions that could be answered using open data – and empower you to do the same.

You can expect a presentation starting with a brief walk through of the types of voting questions the team answered on the campaign using data, a highlight of factors contributing to low voter turnout in recent NYC elections, an overview of how these factors can be translated into questions that can be explored through open datasets, and a dive into a specific case study as an example. The session will close with a facilitated discussion on voter engagement and data to bring folks across the sector together to brainstorm, ideate and learn from one another.

Individuals: Malika Mohan, , ; Jen Yeaton, , ; Nikhil Gahlawat, , ; Riter Hoopes, ,

2025

Voting/Poll Sites [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/mifw-tguq], Election Districts [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/h2n3-98hq], Voter Analysis 2008-2018 [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/psx2-aqx3]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Beyond the Data: The Tech Driving City Council Programs (NYC School of Data)

Join the NYC Council Data & Web Team for a dive into three new powerful public datasets that reveal the Council’s biggest roles in shaping the city. This session will explore how these datasets drive transparency and empower constituents.

Datasets being discussed are:
Legislation (1998 to Present)
Participatory Budgeting Ideas, Proposals and Funded Projects
Council Connect: District Office Visits, Calls, and Emails (to be published)

Through lightning talks from the people who run key Council programs and build the tools that make them accessible, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at how NYC Council data is created and the challenges of creating relevant, interpretable data. Whether you're a policymaker, researcher, or engaged New Yorker, this is your chance to see data in action!

Organizations: New York City Council, Data Team, New York City Council, Legislative Division , New York City Council, Community Engagement Division

2025

City Council Legislation: Bills and Local Laws [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/6ctv-n46c], Participatory Budgeting Projects [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/wwhr-5ven]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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In Code We Trust: Volunteering and Careers in Government & Public Interest Technology

It is an understatement to say that these are challenging times. After a decade of advocacy, we entered 2025 with fully mature digital service delivery teams across the Federal government. At the same time, City and State digital service delivery teams were taking root.

Now, we are in the most unusual situation. While the Federal government is shedding is digital service teams, state and local governments are gearing. Now, state and local governments are being asked to leverage AI, data, and innovation to improve public services, increase transparency, and enhance civic engagement while federal support has disappeared. Additionally, non-profits, service providers, and other organizations are needing to meet the moment with limited resources. This panel brings together professionals working in the government and public interest technology sector—spanning public agencies, civic tech organizations, and private-sector partners—to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and impact of working in this field.

Panelists will share insights on career paths in govtech, the skills and experiences that help professionals succeed, and how technology is transforming public service delivery. The discussion will cover topics such as digital service design, open data, cybersecurity, ethical AI in government, and how civic technologists can drive meaningful change.
Whether you are an aspiring technologist, a policy expert, or someone looking to transition into the public sector, this session will provide valuable perspectives on how to navigate and contribute to the evolving world of government technology.

Key Topics:
- Volunteering opportunities to improve government service delivery
- Paths to a career in government technology
- The role of data and digital tools in modern governance
- The intersection of technology, policy, and public service
- How to make an impact in the govtech space

Join us to learn from industry leaders about how you can shape the future of public technology and improve government for all.

Session will be livestream with real time ASL translation.

Format: Brief presentation, followed by discussion and questions and answers from the audience.

Individuals: Abbey Kos, Deputy Chief Customer Experience Officer, State of New York; Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director, BetaNYC; Martha Norrick, Chief Analytics Officer, Office of Technology and Innovation; Gabe Paley, Assistant Secretary for Technology, Office of Governor Kathy Hochul; Jai Rodgers, Talent Community Manager, U.S. Digital Response

2025

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Panel Discussion

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Machine Readable Laws: How LLMs can help democratize NYC Administrative Code (NYC School of Data)

Laws are meant to govern everyone, yet they often feel inaccessible to all but legal experts. As we move into an era where AI and automation shape how we interact with information, we have to ask: What does it mean to digitize the law? Who decides how legal texts are structured, processed, and interpreted by machines? And most importantly—how can we ensure that legal AI tools serve the public, not just Big Tech?

This talk will explore these questions through the lens of a project building a custom, domain-specific LLM trained on Titles 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, and 20 of the NYC Administrative Code. It will walk through the process of transforming administrative code into a machine-readable format, the challenges of working with legal language, and the value of building a custom LLM instead of relying on existing AI tools. Along the way, we’ll consider the bigger implications of legal AI—who gets to decide how we interpret laws for digital systems, how do those systems execute the laws, and what are the implications for equity and a future shaped by technology?

The session will include a live demo of the chatbot and see firsthand how it engages with NYC administrative code. We’ll close with key takeaways on the future of AI in legal accessibility and what it means to build tools that truly serve the public.

Jordan Shapiro, M.A., is a tech policy expert and data analyst focused on government digitalization. She has worked on tech policy initiatives in the U.S., U.K., and E.U. and serves as a SPRITE+ Expert Fellow and BetaNYC Associate Board member. A techno-optimist, she aims to help shape a world positively transformed by technology.

Individuals: Jordan Shapiro, Digitalization Consultant, JD Digitalization

2025

NYC Administrative Code (https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/overview)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Intro to NYCDB: Exploring NYC Open Data with the Housing Data Coalition (NYC School of Data)

NYCDB is an open-source project of the Housing Data Coalition intended to make it easier for housing justice advocates to fight displacement in New York City.

Join Maxwell Austensen of the Housing Data Coalition for this interactive workshop, where you'll learn about the basics of NYC's housing-related open data by asking questions of NYCDB. You'll learn what a BBL (Borough-Block-Lot) is, and how to query NYCDB using a language called SQL. You'll also learn how to use other tools that build on NYCDB, like Who Owns What and the Displacement Alert Project (DAP) to aid you in housing research. 

At the end of the day, you'll have learned the basics of how to query the database to answer your housing questions and have a better understanding of NYC's Open Data landscape.

No prior experience with open data or databases is required to attend this session.

Organizations: Housing Data Coalition

2025

Housing Maintenance Code Complaints and Problems [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/ygpa-z7cr], Housing Maintenance Code Violations [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/wvxf-dwi5], Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output (PLUTO) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/64uk-42ks]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Workshop

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Keeping your data safe in 2025 (and beyond!) (NYC School of Data)

If you're new to digital security, 2025 is your year! (And if you're a seasoned practitioner, 2025 is... also your year.)

The past 2.25 months have, if nothing else, showcased the vulnerability of public data as a stark contrast to the value of our personal data. After DECADES of shifting to online services, sometimes exclusively, there's a lot of personally identifiable information out there that it would be prudent to safeguard.

This session will be presented by Davis Erin Anderson, Senior Digital Security Trainer at Freedom of the Press Foundation. Since around 2016, Davis has been training journalists, librarians, and anyone else who will listen on how to enhance their privacy and security online. Her favorite topics are credential security, avoiding online scams, and how to use encryption everywhere possible.

Join this session to talk shop about various vulnerabilities and threats, from phishing scams to government surveillance, and what we might do about them. We each have the power to keep our data, ourselves, and one another safe this year and into the future.

Individuals: Davis Erin Anderson, Senior Digital Security Trainer, | Organizations: Freedom of the Press Foundation

2025

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Class / Training

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Congestion Pricing, As Seen Through DOT Cameras (NYC School of Data)

Join machine learning engineer Isaac Donis and designer/UX expert Tim Harris for an illuminating data-driven presentation on New York City's congestion pricing through the lens of NYC Department of Transportation cameras. Born as a passion project, they've developed a custom computer vision approach to capture and analyze traffic patterns across the city, creating a unique grassroots dataset that offers fresh insights into the real-world effects of congestion pricing on our streets.

This session will showcase their methodology for counting vehicles per minute across DOT camera feeds and present their findings in accessible, visually compelling formats. Perfect for data enthusiasts, policy-minded New Yorkers, transportation advocates, and anyone curious about how technology can provide new perspectives on urban challenges. The presentation will conclude with a Q&A session where audience members can engage directly with the presenters about their techniques, findings, and implications for the future of NYC transportation.

Individuals: Isaac Donis, Machine Learning Engineer, ; Tim Harris, Designer,

2025

DOT Live Traffic Cameras (https://webcams.nyctmc.org/map), MTA Central Business District Geofence: Beginning June 2024 (https://data.ny.gov/Transportation/MTA-Central-Business-District-Geofence-Beginning-J/srxy-5nxn/about_data), MTA Congestion Relief Zone Vehicle Entries: Beginning 2025 (https://data.ny.gov/Transportation/MTA-Congestion-Relief-Zone-Vehicle-Entries-Beginni/t6yz-b64h/about_data)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Learning about the NYC Urban Forest through the Latest High-Resolution Tree Canopy Data (NYC School of Data)

Tree canopy covers over a fifth of the land area in New York City, offering a wide variety of benefits to people and biodiversity while supporting resilience in the face of a changing climate. The Nature Conservancy, with collaboration and review by NYC Parks, recently released data on tree canopy in NYC as of 2021 – an update to datasets released by the City for 2010 and 2017. Come learn about the data, some initial findings about tree canopy in NYC and how it is changing, and how you can start working with the data yourself in open source software (QGIS) from Mike Treglia (Lead Scientist of the NY Cities Program at The Nature Conservancy) and Uma Bhandaram (Deputy Chief of Environment & Planning at NYC Parks). If you are interested in trees in NYC or the environment more broadly, urban planning, or spatial data and GIS, this session might be for you!

Individuals: Mike Treglia, Lead Scientist, NY Cities Program, The Nature Conservancy; Uma Bhandaram, Deputy Chief of Environment & Planning, NYC Parks | Organizations: The Nature Conservancy, NYC Parks

2025

Tree Canopy Change (2010 - 2017) [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/by9k-vhck]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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FloodNet - Event based flood data for climate resilience (NYC School of Data)

FloodNet's mission is to develop tools for real-time urban flood monitoring, implement these tools to measure flooding in New York City, and make flood data and monitoring tools available in a manner that is accessible and useful to stakeholders including residents, community-based organizations, government agencies, and researchers.

The FloodNet team is composed of researchers and practitioners at New York University, the City University of New York, and New York City government agencies working in collaboration with stakeholders to collect and share data that contribute toward flood risk mitigation and building community flood resilience. FloodNet is deploying 500 realtime flood depth sensors at flood prone locations across NYC's five boroughs. The flood sensors are typically mounted to street signposts, measuring water levels directly beneath. As of March 2025, we have installed over 250 sensors and collected flood data for over 2100 flood events.

In this demonstration we will introduce the project and walk through our soon to be released dataset on the NYC Open Data platform. The dataset consists of flood events captured by our sensor network over its 4+ years of operation and includes: start/end times, peak depth, time-series depth measurements and associated sensor metadata. We will also present how the data has been used to verify a hydrological model of the Midland Beach neighborhood of Staten Island adjacent to the New Creek Bluebelt flood mitigation development.

To find out more about the FloodNet project, please visit our website at: floodnet.nyc

Individuals: Charlie Mydlarz, , | Organizations: FloodNet NYC, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, NYC Mayors Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, NYC Office of Technology & Innovation

2025

FloodNet: Street Flooding Events Measured by FloodNet Sensors (https://www.floodnet.nyc)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Good Cause Eviction Screener: A data-driven approach to bolster tenant rights in NYC (NYC School of Data)

In April 2024, Good Cause Eviction Protections were signed into law in New York State after years of organizing by tenants. However, the answer to "Do I qualify for Good Cause?" is not always straightforward for tenants in NYC. JustFix, in collaboration with Housing Justice For All, created a tool for tenants in NYC to easily check their Good Cause coverage. In this session, we will discuss the product development process of the Good Cause Eviction Screener and in particular, how the rich open data ecosystem in NYC has allowed us to create a simple, easy-to-use product for all tenants.

Individuals: Ki Wan Sim, Senior Software Engineer, JustFix; Corey Brown, Design Lead, JustFix | Organizations: JustFix

2025

DOB Certificate Of Occupancy [https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/bs8b-p36w]

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Presentation

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Beyond Numbers: Understanding NYC's Budget (NYC School of Data)

FPWA, a leading anti-poverty advocacy organization, invites advocates, analysts, and anyone interested in helping shape NYC’s budget to join their Fiscal Policy team for a budget-advocacy workshop. Using FPWA’s NYC Funds Tracker, workshop attendees will learn how to investigate trends in the City’s budget, and, importantly, how to communicate those findings!  
Together, attendees will use FPWA's NYC Funds Tracker data tool to put together a budget advocacy one-pager on a budget trend they want to highlight or learn more about.  
We hope to foster a collaborative environment that allows attendees to get hands-on, connect with other attendees about issues they care about and empower their voices for a more democratic, people-centered budget.

Individuals: Emily Pisano, Fiscal Policy Analyst, FPWA | Organizations: Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)

2025

CheckbookNYC Data (https://www.checkbooknyc.com/), NYC Comptroller's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/annual-comprehensive-financial-reports/)

NYC School of Data Conference Session

Workshop

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