Community Data Science Workshops (Spring 2015)/Day 3 Projects/Civic data

Building and visualizing datasets using data.seattle.gov and Google apps

In this project, we will explore a few ways to gather data from data.seattle.gov using the Socrata API, the Google Maps API, and Google Fusion tables.

Goals

Collect data on building permits in Seattle, by neighborhood and by year awarded.
Combine those data with neighborhood data from the Google Maps API
Download the results in a CSV file
Upload results to Google's Fu

Download the Day 3 Socrata project

Click here to download the Socrata scripts

If you are confused by these steps, go back and refresh your memory with the Day 0 setup and tutorial and Day 0 tutorial

(Estimated time: 10 minutes)

Topics to cover

explain Socrata open data platform, exists on other government websites
navigate to api page and show the documentation, point out examples
introduce the API sandbox as a tool for building queries

Example questions

What Seattle neighborhood has the most art galleries? - neighborhood_culture1.py
What Seattle neighborhood has the most square feet devoted to arts & culture? - neighborhood_culture2.py
Which trail gets more bike traffic per month--the Burke Gilman or the Mountain to Sound Trail? - traffic_counter1.py, traffic_counter2.py
Do people use the trails less when it's cold? monthly_weather.py
Does the Burke-Gilman get more bike or pedestrian traffic? bike_and_peds1.py
What is the primary commute direction on the Burke Gilman? bike_and_peds2.py

Other example questions

What day of the week does the Burke Gilman have the most total traffic?
What day has the most pedestrian traffic?
What time of day has the most southbound traffic, on average?
How many shoplifting calls has SPD responded to this month so far?

Resources

About Google Fusion tables: https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/2571232
Google Fusion Tables mapmaking tutorial: https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/2527132?hl=en&topic=2573107&ctx=topic
API sandbox tool: https://www.hurl.it
API-powered app: http://web6.seattle.gov/mnm/
Socrata API help resources: http://dev.socrata.com/consumers/getting-started.html

filtering results: http://dev.socrata.com/docs/filtering.html
dealing with timestamps: http://dev.socrata.com/docs/datatypes/timestamp.html
writing API queries: http://dev.socrata.com/docs/queries.html

Data.seattle.gov datasets with lat/long or street addresses

Instructional videos

Other Socrata sites that use this API