City of Pittsburgh. (Photo via Unsplash)
The high-profile Amazon bid has spurred many questions about the public’s right to information on matters that could acutely impact their lives. But if we sidestep the current situation, it begs the question: How transparent is Pittsburgh in normal times?
The short answer seems to be that the local government operates in a fairly transparent way, according to transparency experts, yet there remain frustrating blind spots in information available to residents.
The Sunlight Foundation and Open Knowledge Institute currently rank Pittsburgh eighth in the U.S. City Open Data Census, which evaluates nearly 100 cities on how easily financial and civic data can be found online. Five years ago, a survey on transparency in the nation’s 30 largest cities ranked Pittsburgh 10th, classifying it as an “emerging” city for opening its books to residents.
Meanwhile, Peduto has continued to champion the release of public data from across government through efforts like Burgh’s Eye View and the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center [WPRDC].
Keyva Clark, communication analyst for the City of Pittsburgh, called the Open Data Census a useful tool for benchmarking Pittsburgh’s progress. She expects the city’s score to continue to rise.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE AT:
https://www.publicsource.org/has-amazon-hq2-been-a-deviation-in-pittsburghs-transparency-practices/
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