GOVERNMENT

"This update demonstrates New York City’s commitment to government transparency and openness," O’Brien said. "New York is a national pioneer in open data, and this plan provides a road map for our continued leadership in this area," O’Brien said.

Entrepreneurs, real estate developers, architects and city planning departments can use the new tool to expedite the business application procedure.

Mike Kadas pitched the idea that public disclosure of sales prices is a valuable tool for property owners to use when challenging the department’s valuations of their property.

"What gets measured gets done."

Following the release of data sets, departments will be required to manage, maintain and update their information routinely.

"We must build a common platform that ensures greater technical capacity to liberate our data, an ability to combine data in ways that make them more valuable," she said. "We aspire to develop new suites of data products created to meet the needs of businesses, innovators, governments and others."