Esri ArcGIS Hub helps government agencies meet open data law requirements

Esri’s ArcGIS Hub is helping government agencies more easily and efficiently comply with new policies outlined in the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act, Esri said.

The OPEN Government Data Act sets a presumption that all government information should be open data by default — machine readable and freely reusable.

According to Esri, federal agencies using the ArcGIS Hub can share data in open formats with only a few clicks and feed those data catalogs directly to data.gov, the government-wide website supported in the bill. In addition, apps and dashboards can help responders identify vulnerable populations areas, locate resources like shelters and hospitals, and visualize where and when routes to these resources are accessible in real time.

The ArcGIS Hub online portals also enable government agencies to direct their open data to deepen citizen engagement with apps, data, events and collaboration focused on specific civic initiatives. According to Esri, ArcGIS Hub lets citizens, businesses, academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations take advantage of their governments’ spatial analytics capabilities to collaborate and turn data-driven goals into policy.

“When authoritative data is unencumbered and interoperable, it enables effective and efficient government programs that save lives and money,” said Jill Saligoe-Simmel, Esri product manager for spatial data infrastructure. “Esri supports the OPEN Government Data Act — combined with the recently passed Geospatial Data Act — as an essential component to modern spatial data infrastructures.”