Open Data for Inclusive and Informed Cities - Examples of Care Data in the Global South

When governments commit to open data, communities benefit from more informed, inclusive, and equitable policies. Across the Global South, cities are demonstrating how transparency and data reuse can empower decision-making and strengthen social care systems. Natalia Carfi from Open Data Charter explored how open data initiatives in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and other regions are driving new approaches to understanding and addressing care needs in urban environments.

While many governments publish datasets, the content – what data is shared and how it is used – determines its real social value. By focusing on care economy indicators, cities like Mexico City and Buenos Aires have turned abstract principles into actionable insight. These systems track who provides and receives care, where support gaps exist, and how policies can better reflect the realities of women and families balancing unpaid care responsibilities.

Beyond Latin America, reuse cases from across the Global South illustrate how open data can serve as a bridge between communities, policymakers, and service providers. Examples include data-driven resource allocation, mapping of care infrastructure, and social policy design based on lived experiences. In each case, the key lesson is that open data becomes transformative only when it connects directly to human needs.

The conversation also underlined the importance of governance frameworks such as the Open Data Charter, which help ensure consistency, ethics, and interoperability. These frameworks enable cities to adapt and scale successful approaches without reinventing the wheel. By prioritising accessibility, clarity, and participation, open data initiatives can strengthen democratic practices and deliver tangible improvements in people’s everyday lives.

Ultimately, the session demonstrated that open data is not only a technical issue but a social and cultural one. By embracing openness as a tool for inclusion and empowerment, cities can better understand and respond to the realities of care work, inequality, and resilience – paving the way toward more equitable, informed, and human-centred urban development.

This event is part of the ISCN Global Mixer, a series of events organized by the International Smart Cities Network. The presentations cover a wide range of topics related to international smart city approaches and provide exciting insights into urban digitalization worldwide - in just 30 minutes.