The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched the Data for London Library, a new platform that promises to transform how London collects, shares and uses data.
Launched during London Data Week, the Library is part of the Mayor’s Data for London programme. It replaces the London Datastore, which was first launched in 2010.
The Mayor’s Office said the Library aims to be “the definitive catalogue of place data for London” — including environment, buildings, and demographics — creating a single resource for researchers and data users seeking insight into data services and projects.
It added that it will connect, not collect, datasets held by key London partners starting with Transport for London, the Department of Health and Social Care as well as Barnet, Brent, Camden, and Redbridge councils, and the Office for National Statistics.
If you liked this content…
From silos to safeguarding: Why London is building a Data Library
Blanket consultancy cuts risk false economy warns expert
NHS’s biggest barrier to AI isn’t technology, says BCN
The hidden cost of poor data in housing (and how to fix it)
Modern data sourcing: From tech sprawl to trusted, purpose-driven data
The Data for London Library will offer more than 5,100 datasets, faster search tools, and improved discoverability to make it easier for everyone, including citizens, researchers and startups, to find and use trusted data.
London Datastore applications
Data from the previous London Datastore has been used to:
- Improve air quality by collating data from air quality sensors across London to help map and predict air pollution episodes. This enables us to issue pollution alerts for Londoners, helping people with health conditions sensitive to pollution live healthier lives as part of the Breath London project.
- Support Net Zero by providing energy efficiency data for all London homes in a transparent, shareable way through the London Building Stock Model. This helps councils to identify and prioritise homes that need retrofitting and is a key tool to support the delivery of the Mayor’s Warmer Homes London programme with London Councils.
- Tackle rough sleeping by publishing quarterly and annual CHAIN reports based on data collected by outreach teams and services across London. These reports provide strategic insights into rough sleeping trends, supporting public understanding and helping the Mayor, councils, and charities work toward the goal of ending rough sleeping in London by 2030.
Collaboration high on the list
Theo Blackwell MBE, chief digital officer for London, said: “London is great at collaboration and the new Data for London Library is rooted in partnership. We’ve been working closely with the data community, the London Office of Technology and Innovation, local authorities in London and other data providers in the city to prioritise the features and improve the user experience.
“This is just the beginning, we are only going one way – there is no global trend towards less data. AI systems of the future are heavily dependent on the quality and quantity of the data they are trained on, so our focus now is to build more data sources into the Data for London Library and to make it easier to navigate complex data sharing agreements to benefit the city’s strategic position as the vanguard of the data and AI revolution. This is how we can build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
