Data transparency enhanced with Oakville’s new Data Hub

Thursday, April 04, 2024

Reinforcing Oakville’s commitment to transparency, the town has launched a new Oakville Data Hub, a centralized online location reporting on key metrics about the town’s performance and future growth planning. Through dashboards, maps and data visualizations, the Data Hub enhances the town’s data management practices and supports evidence-based decision-making. 

The new interactive Data Hub brings multiple data sets together that can be accessed, downloaded and customized in a user-friendly way. Many of the new dashboards within the hub include automated, daily updates, ensuring that Council, staff and the community have the most relevant information available, empowering them to make well-informed decisions in a timely manner.

The Oakville Data Hub includes the following:  

  • Council Strategic Plan Dashboard monitors the town's progress on four key priorities – growth management, environmental sustainability, community belonging and accountable government. Data includes transit trips, community satisfaction, emission reductions, infrastructure renewal and more. Currently, they represent 13 out of the 20 key community indicators from Council’s Strategic Plan and 2023-2026 Action Plan. Data on the remaining indicators will be added as they become available. 
  • Planning and Development Hub includes data and dashboards related to planning applications, building permits, best planning estimates and Committee of Adjustment variances, helping monitor town-building trends and metrics. 
  • Housing Pledge Dashboard tracks the town’s progress in meeting its housing target and associated funding from provincial and federal governments. 
  • Demographic data, online maps and community profiles are also part of the Data Hub. This helps bring key aspects of town data and Open Data Portal information into a centralized location for ease of access.

As part of the Data Hub’s phased approach, more data will be available by the end of the year, bringing relevant and useful data to Council, staff and the Oakville community as a whole. 

Whether you are a resident, business owner, academic, student or part of a community group, the Data Hub enables all audiences to keep a pulse on development trends, community growth, and collaborate for building a better community.  

Background

  • In July 2023, the town approved the Council Strategic Plan and 2023-2026 Action Plan (pdf) with specific actions and initiatives identified for each priority.
  • In March 2023, Ontario Government assigned Oakville with a Housing Target to facilitate the development of 33,000 new housing units over the next decade.

Quotes

"The new Oakville Data Hub will allow our engaged community to track the town's progress in achieving our shared goals and priorities. The availability of various data sets will create opportunities for the town and residents to collaborate and increase our community's vibrancy and livability."

- Mayor Rob Burton

“Oakville prioritizes data-driven innovation and service excellence. The new Data Hub offers accurate and timely information to inform government policies, town budgeting decisions, and support applications for funding from provincial and federal governments. This is a preliminary step in our data analytics journey, which will continue to evolve as we bring more and in-depth data sets in the future. I want to thank staff for their dedication and hard work in making the town more transparent and accountable in our actions.” 

- Jane Clohecy, Chief Administrative Officer