Vancouver Open Data Publication Rules - Bylaw

Technology and Data British Columbia 3 Minutes Read · published February 11, 2026 Flag of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia maintains an open data publication framework to make municipal datasets discoverable, reusable, and clearly licensed for public use. This article explains the City of Vancouver approach to publishing datasets, common exemptions, how to request or report issues with published data, and what enforcement or review options exist for noncompliance. It focuses on the municipal context and points to the Citys official open data pages for authoritative procedures and contacts.

Check the City of Vancouver open data pages for the most current dataset lists and licence terms.

What is covered

The City publishes a range of non-personal municipal datasets including transportation, zoning, property-tax parcel boundaries, service areas, and performance metrics. Data formats typically include CSV, GeoJSON, Shapefile, and PDF metadata. Sensitive information exempt from publication includes personal information and information that could compromise safety or security; specific exemptions and redaction practices are set by City policy and privacy legislation.

Publication standards

  • Datasets must include a clear title, description, update frequency, schema or field definitions, and machine-readable formats where practical.
  • Licensing must be explicit for each dataset so reusers know permitted uses and attribution requirements.
  • Metadata should indicate last updated date, source department, and contact for corrections.
Machine-readable formats and clear licensing are central to open data usability.

Access, requests and timelines

Members of the public may download datasets directly from the Citys open data portal and may submit requests for new datasets or corrections. Response timelines for requests are governed by the Citys procedures and applicable provincial access to information rules; specific response timeframes are not specified on the cited pages. [1]

Penalties & Enforcement

The Citys open data policy and portal describe publication responsibilities and contact points but do not set out monetary fines or administrative penalties on the open data pages themselves; where penalties or enforcement powers exist they are governed by applicable municipal bylaws or provincial legislation and are not specified on the cited pages. [1]

  • Enforcer: the City of Vancouver open data team or the responsible department for the dataset; specific enforcement delegation is not specified on the cited pages.
  • Inspection and complaint pathway: submit corrections or complaints through the Citys open data contact or general City contact pages; formal appeals may follow municipal complaint procedures.
  • Fine amounts: not specified on the cited page.
  • Escalation and repeat offences: not specified on the cited page.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: orders to correct records, removal or restriction of dataset access, or referral to legal or privacy review processes may be used where appropriate; specific measures are not enumerated on the cited pages.

Applications & Forms

The City provides mechanisms to request datasets and report issues via the open data portal and contact pages; no single universal printed form or fee schedule for open data publication requests is published on the cited pages. [2]

Common violations

  • Failure to publish required non-personal datasets when responsible department policy indicates release.
  • Publishing datasets without clear licence or attribution terms.
  • Publishing personal or sensitive information without appropriate redaction.
If you find personal data in a dataset, report it immediately to the Citys contact points.

FAQ

Who manages Vancouvers open data program?
The City of Vancouvers open data team and the originating department manage datasets; contact details are listed on the City open data pages.
How do I request a new dataset?
Request new or corrected datasets through the open data portal contact mechanisms or the department listed in dataset metadata.
Are there fees to obtain data?
Most open datasets are provided free under the Citys stated licence; any fee for specialized requests is not specified on the cited pages.

How-To

  1. Identify the dataset you need on the City of Vancouver open data portal and check metadata for contact and update frequency.
  2. Contact the dataset owner using the listed department contact or use the portals feedback mechanism to request additions or corrections.
  3. If no response, file a formal request or complaint via the Citys general contact or City Clerk procedures and reference your prior correspondence.
  4. If the matter concerns personal information, follow provincial access and privacy rules and request a privacy review as needed.

Key Takeaways

  • Open data should be machine-readable, clearly licensed, and include metadata.
  • Use the portal contact or department listed in metadata to request datasets or report issues.

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