MetropolitaGZM – open data platform
DIGITALIZATION AND CLOUD | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | GOVERNANCE | STRATEGIC PLANNING

Challenge
Build a user-friendly repository for all strategic information related to the municipalities of the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis (GZM) in order to improve transparency for local authorities, increase civil society engagement and make better planned decisions at a metropolitan level.

Solution
The platform built by Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia and Dąbrowa Basin “Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia (GZM)” (https://metropoliagzm.pl/) contains among other information, a catalogue of good practices and two main open data pages:
The first one (https://otwartedane.metropoliagzm.pl/) is related to open data gathered from local authorities from the municipalities part of the metropolitan area. The data can be downloaded in csv or rdf formats and is structured in data groups covering: commune budgets, civic budgets, education, spatial development, road infrastructure, monuments, culture, ecology, real estate, sport, bicycle infrastructure, register of ordinary associations, decorations, pro-health programmes, agreements concluded by the commune, conclusions and interpellations of counsellors, support for entrepreneurs, permits for sale of alcoholic beverages, found property records andlaw. The large public data sets are still under development and all localities in the association pledged to contribute to the datasets. the spreadsheets can be downloaded and analysed by citizens or public officials.
The second part of the public data effort consists of a web repository “the Metropolitan Socio-Economic Observatory of GZM” (https://infogzm.metropoliagzm.pl/) to better visualise information at the metropolitan level but also to store and share strategic information related to the metropolitan area. Users can thus visualise statistical information in map formats that better evidentiate differences between the localities of the metropolitan region but also see infographics specific for some localities. This page also acts as a place to store and publish all strategic documents related to the metropolitan region.
These two page-platforms contribute significantly in making the municipalities in the Metropolis GZM more transparent about their actual status and future development plans for public transport, socio-economic development and spatial planning but also allow citizens to become actively involved in the process.
The good practice catalogue (https://infogzm.metropoliagzm.pl/dobre_praktyki/katalog.html) stands to promote good practices among the municipalities in the association but also to among other municipalities in Poland in order to increase effectiveness and efficiency of stakeholders and strengthen inter-municipal cooperation. This platform was developed by the Department of Spatial Strategy and Policy as part of the Strategic Actions Program of the Metropolis GZM and also acts as an online helper to share problems and solutions regarding the attraction of EU funds.