EMEL open data platform

VoxPop had foreseen the creation of an Urban Access Point to interconnect the different existing data management systems. Acting as a system-of-systems, the urban access point was designed as a single point facilitating data exchange between the marketplace participants by:

• Unlocking the value of data
• Integrating demand and supply data
• Defining a collaborative data-sharing model

It was designed as a non-discriminatory facilitator between the different marketplace participants, providing the trustworthiness of an impartial data gatekeeper. It would focus on creating a public and private data-sharing ecosystem where detailed and updated information would be available through the integration of demand data, asset information, and service supply data, but only accessible to specific entities that can create value from the available information.

The methodology followed for its design was the following:

• Analysis of the current governance and business models for data sharing
• Definition of the data-sharing model
• Deployment of the platform
• Creation of data-sharing protocols and business model
• Set out the principles and rules for the involved entities

However, the entities involved were reluctant to share data within the envisaged platform, rendering its creation as ineffective and asking for a re-evaluation of the approach, thus it was decided to create the EMEL data platform.

This platform was created to increase the open mobility data available in Lisbon, to the benefit citizens and visitors of Lisbon, empowering them with real-time insights to improve their mobility experience throughout the city. It was created as open-source, compatible with the National Access Point and scalable so new data categories and contributions from other data suppliers can be added. It is offered as a versatile and user-friendly tool to access and visualize data statistics, graphs and maps.

Its design was based on two phases:

• Market research to analyze the European landscape of data platforms and extract best practices, challenges and the key issues that should be carefully planned in advance to create the blueprint of the platform.
• User needs collection to develop a user-centric solution, and the related system requirements to integrate these needs into the architectural blueprint defined in the previous phase.

Requirements analysis

Dedicated interviews to the local transport operators were held to present, discuss, and improve the initial Unified Modelling Language diagrams and the relevant prototypes of the platform. After various iterations with the operators, functional and non-functional requirements were identified. The functional requirements were defined after creating the use case diagrams supporting the portal mechanics, while the non-functional requirements included reliability, performance, portability, security and open-source.

Platform development

Various prototypes were created to be used as mock-up versions of the platform, facilitating the interaction with the involved entities with a simplified view of the platform functionalities.

The technologies selected for its implementation were the following:

• CKAN for data management, enabling the efficient organization, sharing and access to data.
• Python to automate data update operations.
• Ubuntu as a stable and secure operating system.
• C# and .NET to create windows services.
• Oracle VM VirtualBox to test and configure the service.
• Visual studio to develop the platform tools.

Platform key features

At the end of the project (August 2023) there were a total of 25 datasets available, including pedestrian, cycling, traffic, charging stations and parking related data. Each dataset includes different resources (CSV, JSON and XML files) and a data dictionary, which provides comprehensive descriptions of each field in the datasets.

An important feature of the platform was the data visualization possibilities, including both a tabular and data explore visualization options. The tabular visualization is like a spreadsheet, while the data explore option allows the user to interactively explore the dataset's contents through various graphical representations, such as scatter plots, line charts, bar graphs and more. Users can choose the attributes they want to analyse and customize the visualization to identify trends, patterns, and relationships within the data. This visualization is particularly valuable for gaining insights and making data-driven decisions. Three options are offered in this sense: Grid (left in the image below), Graph (center in the image below) and Map (right in the image below).

The new data portal is a key component of the data sharing eco-system since once the tool also offers the possibility of adding other entities interested in sharing their data, making it a more comprehensive and versatile tool. Next steps for the finalization of the EMEL open portal are related to improvements for a more intuitive and inclusive navigation, making it easy to interact with, thus allowing a good user experience for both professionals (e.g. mobility sector professionals, analysts and data scientists) and the general public. In terms of usability, the improvements will focus on the platform's effectiveness and efficiency, allowing access to all its features in an organised and quick manner.

To conclude, a cite about the platform from one of the project deliverables: “the transition from the UAP to the "EMEL Data Platform" illuminates the iterative nature of innovation and adaptation. The journey revealed a capacity to overcome challenges and harness opportunities, ultimately giving rise to a solution that embodies the commitment to data harmonization, urban sustainability, and citizen empowerment. The "EMEL Data Platform" is not merely a product; it is a testament to the spirit of collaboration, resilience, and forward-looking vision that define the VoxPop project's journey toward a more sustainable and interconnected urban landscape”.