Berlin Open Data strategy

Berlin Open Data Strategy, Germany - © Sebastian Askar / SenWEB Berlin
Berlin Open Data Platform, Berlin, Germany
Berlin Open Data Day 2016 - © Sebastian Askar / SenWEB Berlin
Berlin Open Data Strategy, Germany - © Sebastian Askar / SenWEB Berlin
Berlin Open Data Platform, Berlin, Germany
Berlin Open Data Day 2016 - © Sebastian Askar / SenWEB Berlin
Berlin Open Data Strategy, Germany - © Sebastian Askar / SenWEB Berlin
Berlin Open Data Platform, Berlin, Germany
Berlin Open Data Day 2016 - © Sebastian Askar / SenWEB Berlin

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Status

ongoing

City

Berlin

Main actors

City Government, Private Sector, Research Institutes / Universities

Project area

Metropolitan Area

Duration

Ongoing since 2011

In 2011, the City of Berlin engaged in the development of an Open Data platform to foster transparency in public administration and the production of smart city apps.

The Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises is responsible for the Open Data strategy adopted by the City of Berlin. It regularly organizes events, such as hackathons and Open Data days, to promote the potential of Open Data, connect stakeholders and foster innovation. Public administrations, universities, and the private sector are the primary stakeholders involved in the consultation, generation and dissemination of Open Data.

Developing a vibrant Open Data culture among city administrators and app developers, requires political will, regular communication with the community and practical instruments. Conceived as a decentralized tool to which all city administrators can contribute, the Berlin Open Data Portal was launched in 2011 and now has more than 1200 data sets online. The portal has supported the development of many data-based apps, such as, internet speed and the location of bathing places in the city. Efforts are being made to upscale the use of the Open Data Portal in the city administration and improve the accuracy of available (real-time) data. The development of an Open Data platform supports the emergence of a data-driven administration and contributes to open government and good governance.

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Sustainable Development Goals

City

Berlin, Germany

Size and population development

In 2019, the municipality of Berlin had a population of 3,669,491 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the European Union (EU). The larger metropolitan area has about 5 million inhabitants.

Population composition

According to estimations, about one third of Berlin’s population was foreign born or has a migratory background. These inhabitants originate from other parts of the EU—such as Poland, Italy or Bulgaria—as well as from countries outside of the EU, such as Syria, Vietnam or the United States of America. The largest non-native population comes from Turkey: In 2019, more than 107,000 Turkish nationals were registered as inhabitants of Berlin.

Main functions

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. As a city-state it is also one of the country’s 16 Länder, as the federal states are called in Germany. Situated approximately 112 miles (180 km) south of the Baltic Sea, the city lies in the wide glacial valley of the Spree River, which runs through Berlin’s centre. The city extends over an area of 891.7 square kilometres and stands at an average altitude of 34 meters above sea level. After the reunification of Germany and East and West Berlin in 1990, the unified Berlin was re-established as the country’s capital (replacing Bonn, the former capital of West Germany). In 1999, large parts of the Federal Government and the German Bundestag finally moved back to Berlin. Berlin is a city of great historical significance, which becomes evident considering the amount of historical landmarks that visualize the city’s history. Some of the most important landmarks include the Brandenburg Gate (built in 1793), the Reichstag Building (which dates to 1884), remnants of the Berlin Wall (taken down on the 9th of November 1989) or the Holocaust memorial (inaugurated in 2003). Berlin is also a famous cultural hub, known for its world-class museums, theatres, operas and concert halls as well as its vibrant club scene and street art. Finally, the Brain City Berlin is a leading location for science and research. It is home to a number of prestigious universities such as the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin, with more than 35,000 students each as well as renowned research institutions and think tanks.

Main industries / business

As the fourth largest economy of the world, Germany has a wide array of prestigious industries. Berlin is home to a diverse mix of economic activities: state-owned enterprises, creative industries, automotive manufacturers, (digital) media corporations, high-tech and telecommunication companies as well as multiple digital pioneers that flourish in the city’s vibrant start-up scene. Tourism is constantly growing and brings about 14 million visitors (2019) to the city every year.

Sources for city budget

Berlin draws its budget for public expenditure largely from taxes, federal transfers, fees, fines and operating revenues. It is spent not only to provide high quality public services, but also to boost the city’s private sector, civil society engagement and cultural life.

Political structure

The city-state Berlin is governed by the Berlin Senate, which is comprised of 10 senators, and the Governing Mayor. As the capital of Germany, Berlin hosts the Bundesregierung (federal government), the Bundestag (federal parliament) and the Bundesrat (the parliamentary chamber of the 16 Länder). Each of the 16 Länder has a representation in Berlin. On many political issues, the Länder have co-legislative powers vis-à-vis the Federal government. Moreover, Berlin hosts embassies from more than 120 countries from around the world.

Administrative structure

Berlin is administrated by the Senate and its 12 districts or boroughs (Bezirke). The Senate is the city’s central administration, in charge of city planning, public policy, and the regulation of public and private spheres. The district administrations have some decentralized public functions, with reasonable differences between the various localities.

Website

http://www.berlin.de

In 2011, the project “Open Data Berlin” was launched and Open Government became part of the city government’s political guidelines. It included the definition of a legal framework as well as analyses, concepts, and an action plan. Simultaneously, an Open Data pilot portal was launched.

In the same year, the first “Berlin Open Data Day” (BODDy) was organized as a meeting between the city administration and the Open Data community. Initiated by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, the aim of the meeting was to encourage the administration to publish data and to convince the Open Data community to use the published data.

The Berlin Open Data strategy was published in 2012. During that year, the Open Data Portal was further expanded to include approximately 100 data sets online.

Germany’s portal govdata.de was launched in 2013. Shortly after, the City of Berlin relaunched its own portal with about 250 data sets, including geo-data and new services. The city also strengthened the exchange of experiences with other countries.

In 2014 – 2015 - additional Berlin Open Data Days were organized and the city also supported the “Hackdays” (Coding da Vinci, Energy Hack).

In 2016, the E-Government law was legislated. At this time the open-data portal comprised more than 1200 data sets, 50 applications and 22 categories, e.g. labor market, demography, tourism, health, etc. Decentralized data provision ensures more up-to-date information and less effort for data supervisors. Data providers include District Offices, Senate Administrations, Statistical Office, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems FOKUS, VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, Robert Koch Institute, and Stromnetz Berlin GmbH.

The Open Data "ecosystem" includes many stakeholders who contribute their expertise to the strategy: