Researchers from Maynooth University have launched a new online resource that will let citizens, businesses and policy makers access information about the city in an unprecedented way. The Cork Dashboard allows users to monitor a huge range of public data at a glance – from real-time traffic and weather information to air quality and crime levels – all in one place and free of charge. You can visit the Cork Dashboard at www.corkdashboard.ie.
The Cork Dashboard is a product of the Building City Dashboards Project based in National Centre for Geocomputation in Maynooth University. The project was created in partnership with Cork Smart Gateway, Cork City Council and Cork County Council and was funded by Science Foundation Ireland.
The website draws information from a number of data providers including the local authorities, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Central Statistics Office and a number of government departments. The number of real-time, interactive maps and data-sets will give users the ability to track changes in Cork as they happen.While the potential applications for the Cork Dashboards will be as varied as the people that use it, below is a list of some of the more common applications that the Building City Dashboards Project team expect to see:
Cork Citizens: Individuals can use the Dashboard to plan their commute, to compare property prices and planning permission information and even report issues such as broken street lights and potholes to local authorities.
Public Officials: The Dashboard collates a huge number of data sets that will give public officials a valuable and up-to-the-minute insight into Cork life, allowing them to review vital statistics such as prevalence of crime, health data and pollution levels, making city planning more efficient and effective.
Foreign Direct Investment: By providing visual representations for cost of living and economic performance, the Dashboard will be a valuable tool both for companies who are considering investing in Cork and for advocacy groups like the IDA.
Tourism: The amount of information available on the Cork Dashboard will let potential visitors plan their trip with greater ease and in more detail than ever before, allowing them to check transport options, hotel availability and bathing water quality on Cork beaches.
Over the next two years, the amount of data available on the Dashboard will expand to allow for even more monitoring services to include, for example, the ability to quickly assess areas for flood risk.
The Dashboard will further be developed in time to allow users self-identify as policy-makers, private citizens, law enforcement, etc., and to interact with the data in virtual and augmented reality.
5 things you can do right now on the Cork Dashboard:
1. Explore long term trends in Cork for a range of indicators
Look at long term trends for a range of economic and social variables such as employment, house prices, residential rents and crime rates.
2. Monitor the demand for social housing in the area
You can see the level of demand for social housing through data drawn from the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO). You can filter the data by the amount of time spent on the waiting list, the age of the applicant and category of need for housing. You can also report vacant houses to the Rebuilding Ireland – Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
3. Find a parking space using real-time information
Avoid getting caught out in the Christmas shopping rush with an interactive real-time map that locates any free parking spaces in the area. The same map will tell you how many City Bikes and bike stands are currently available.
4. Explore real-time environmental information
You can explore current air quality, water levels and weather information for from the interactive map on the homepage.
5. Explore your local history
Using data provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Cork Dashboard allows you to explore historical and local heritage sites marking on the interactive map.
