Norfolk Open Data

What Is Open Data?

Open Data is data that can be used, reused and redistributed by anyone without restriction or cost.

About NorfolkOpenData

In July 2017, Norfolk City Council adopted an open data policy that serves as the foundation for Norfolk’s Open Data Program. Called NorfolkOpenData, the goal of this program is to make city data easily available for the public to access and use via our open data portal. Our open data portal went live in March 2018 with a handful of datasets. Over time, additional datasets have been added; Norfolk now has dozens of datasets available to the public.

Norfolk’s Goals for NorfolkOpenData:

Increase transparency and access to public information
Reduce the need for public information requests
Enhance coordination, efficiency and internal data sharing among City departments
Provide access to city data for residents, businesses and educational institutions
Improve data quality by incorporating user feedback on data accuracy and consistency

Check out Norfolk’s Open Data portal

Click here to jump to the open data portal.
Click here to view several video tutorials available to learn how to use Norfolk’s open data portal.

Where’s the Data in Your Neighborhood?

Learn how to find data about your neighborhood in Norfolk’s Open Data portal.

NorfolkOpenData Civic Partners

Norfolk’s Open Data policy and program were developed with valuable assistance from our civic partners.

What Works Cities: In March 2017, Norfolk was honored to be chosen to join What Works Cities, a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative designed to help midsize American cities enhance their use of data to improve services, inform decision-making and engage residents.
The Sunlight Foundation – In 2018, through What Works Cities, Norfolk partnered with the Sunlight Foundation, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that encourages the use of the open data and policy analysis to improve government transparency. Together, we hosted a Tactical Data Engagement (TDE) designed to seek a community-centered open data solution to help improve the city’s resilience. As a result of this project the city will pursue collection and publication of data to help researchers better understand the long-term trajectory of weather patterns and effects..

Check out these stories about Norfolk’s TDE process:

Tactical Data Engagement

Lessons from Tactical Data Engagement

Austin and Norfolk Selected for Next Pilot Projects