District government’s Open Data DC initiative awarded for GIS work

Open Data DC, a local portal for maps, apps and data, won a prestigious award for its work using geographic information systems (GIS).

Congratulations to #OCTODC's GIS team @opendatadc on winning the Enterprise GIS award at Esri User Conference! #ESRIUC2019 #EsriUC pic.twitter.com/AlSarqBrM4

— DC Office of the CTO (@OCTODC) July 8, 2019

Esri, a global GIS software company, hosted its 39th Esri User Conference, where the initiative that’s part of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) took home the Enterprise GIS Award. The conference, happening now in San Diego, Calif., runs from July 8 to 12. Only two awards are given at the conference, the second being the President’s Award.

“This year’s awardees are demonstrating how GIS can be a key tool for governments to build safer, smarter, and more engaged communities,” Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president, said in a news release. “Whether it’s a project to detect and solve health challenges in the homeless population or creating open data portals to foster citizen engagement, these organizations have shown the good that geospatial technology can be put to in the civic sphere.”

The recognition awarded the District for using GIS as a tool for governments to safely use and share data. On Open Data DC, the D.C. government said in a press release that it shares more than 1,200 agency, federal and regional government datasets. The data is openly available and users can explore information down to theme such as public safety, recreation, education, demographics and more.

“With GIS, and the availability of open data, DC Government is creating opportunities for everyone, from government agencies to community organizations, to identify innovative ideas addressing some of the District’s biggest challenges,” D.C. CTO Lindsey Parker said in a statement. “Together we must work to convert data insights into solutions that benefit all of DC.”