Tech startups in San Francisco are rallying behind open-data legislation recently enacted by the city, saying the measure could help pave the way for more innovation.

Tech startups in San Francisco are rallying behind open-data legislation recently enacted by the city, saying the measure could help pave the way for more innovation.

The legislation “standardizes and sets timelines for the release of appropriate city government data,” according to Supervisor Mark Farrell, who submitted the legislation. “I know that my update to our open data ordinance will help lead to further innovation and technologically driven services, solutions, platforms and applications for civic issues and problems,”

The ordinance updates the city’s open data standards by ensuring that data are released in machine-readable formats and establishing timelines for city departments for the release of appropriate city data sets, among other requirements. And it creates a way for city staff and agencies to interact with the public and entrepreneurs for prioritizing the release of city data.

We’re proud of our home town’s efforts here and look forward to other cities following San Francisco’s lead.