CBS and Venlo have launched Urban Data Centre

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the municipality of Venlo have launched a ‘CBS Urban Data Centre/Venlo’ which will focus on joint collection, analysis and presentation of regional and local data. The new organisation is to use data more effectively to benefit local communities. Citizens, businesses, institutions and government all stand to gain greater insight into developments around the city of Venlo with data provided by this UDC. CBS UDC/Venlo was launched on 19 April 2017 through the signing of a collaboration agreement by CBS Director General Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi and Venlo city’s alderman for local economic affairs Stephan Satijn. Previously, CBS had already opened UDCs with the municipalities of Eindhoven, Heerlen en Groningen.

Smart City

The collaboration fits in with Venlo’s ambition to develop into a smart city.
Alderman Stephan Satijn: ‘As local government of a Smart City, we already implement multiple sources for all kinds of data on city, citizen, businesses and visitors. A regional hub like Venlo needs to develop policies in many different areas anyway. So local and regional data are already essential. With an Urban Data Centre we can apply a much more targeted approach.This will make the city of Venlo even better prepared for the future.’

Facilitating

Director General at CBS Mr Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi explains: ‘Data at regional and local level are essential to municipal government in order to make well-founded decisions. This is even more important now that more and more tasks of public authority are assigned to the municipalities. At the UDC /Venlo, we are facilitating the municipality in collection and analysis of detailed data. That information will be interesting to other municipalities, too.’

Better insight

At the UDC/Venlo, CBS and city government researchers work together and use data in both the social and the economic field. Through the UDC, the city hopes to gain better insight into, for example, its residents’ educational level, traffic movements and the economic value of enterprises located in Venlo. Aside from contributing its knowledge in the field of data collection and analysis in these areas, CBS is also bringing in expertise in such areas as data infrastructure and the safeguarding of privacy and quality of data. The CBS Urban Data Centre/Venlo is located in the local municipal offices in Venlo.

Fourth UDC

The CBS Urban Data Center/Venlo is the fourth UDC nationwide. The first UDC was opened at the end of September 2016 in Eindhoven, followed by Heerlen and Groningen. CBS is discussing opening of a UDC with various other municipalities.

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