Open Civic Data: Of the People, For the People, By the People

“Software is eating the world”, says Marc Andreessen, with data as its fuel and its by-product. Inspired by the success of various open movements, data is now getting open as well. At the forefront, governments and cities are releasing a trove of civic data with promises of better – data-driven, collaborative and participatory – forms of governance. In this paper, we provide a definition of Open Civic Data and motivate what makes it special. We present an overview through stories from the field. We look at current technical barriers; future trends and challenges; and hint at how database research can and should contribute.