In 2017 and 2018, the City of Johns Creek has won significant awards for its exemplary implementation of spatial analytics technology and open data initiatives.
Following the development of an Alexa skill that makes open data about the city’s operations easily accessible through Amazon devices, this summer, Johns Creek was presented the Best Practices Award for Amazon’s City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge. Johns Creek’s development of the Alexa skill is just the latest move in the City’s strategy to enhance services through the use of GIS and open data. In 2017, the City’s GIS Department won Esri’s Special Achievement in GIS Award.
These two awards are emblematic of the response that Johns Creek has generated through the process of democratizing its data. Though the process began earlier, notably, in 2016, the City launched its OpenData portal, making high-quality GIS data available to its population. Then, in 2017, Johns Creek opened its DataHub, expanding the available city data beyond spatial data and creating a single platform for all publicly available city data. This year, with the rollout of the Alexa skill, the City provided a more intuitive medium for locals to access public information.
The Johns Creek GIS team consists of Nick O’Day, the Chief Data Officer, and Julie Kutz, GIS Analyst.
Watch Nick O’Day describe the Alexa skill and discuss how it has democratized data for citizens here (1m49s).
