Last month an (almost) real-time tube map got people talking when it launched as one of the first projects to use Transport for London’s API. It was an exciting example of what can happen when open data is set free to be used by developers in whatever ways their imagination takes them.
The problem is that apart from Transport for London, there really isn’t any real-time data out there for people to use – yet.
A new initiative is looking to kickstart more realtime data projects around the UK. The Make It Local project from NESTA, launched today, is offering three local authorities up to £30,000 to work with local digital businesses to create “Innovative, web-based services for their communities”.
The projects must result in a real-time web service that provides a need to local people. NESTA suggests that transport, carbon emissions, population and crime data are some of the examples of data that could be used. The closing date for applications is 20 August and successful projects will launch on 10 January 2011.
We can’t wait to see what is created.
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