About

Observing the City

Observing the City is an independent project that builds free, interactive tools from open urban data. The goal is simple: take public datasets that usually sit in spreadsheets and portals, and turn them into something anyone can explore in a browser to understand how a city actually moves, and how the people who live in it see it.

Where the data comes from

City of Toronto Open Data: cycling counter volumes and ward boundaries.
Transportation Tomorrow Survey: The regional travel survey run by the Data Management Group at the University of Toronto, used for mode-share figures.
Bike Share Toronto: Trip activity via a public data feed based on the General Bikeshare Feed Specification (GBFS).

Each tool notes its own sources and any processing (for example, older survey wards are mapped onto Toronto’s current 25-ward model). These are independent visualizations and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Toronto, the University of Toronto, or any data provider.

Who makes it

Observing the City is built and maintained by one independent developer, and is kept free and running through advertising and reader support. Questions, corrections and ideas are always welcome — see the contact page.