laOpenData provides simple, reproducible access to Los Angeles-related
datasets from the
Los Angeles Open Data Portal platform —
directly from R, with no API keys or manual downloads required.
Working directly with Socrata APIs can be cumbersome — laOpenData
simplifies this process into a clean, reproducible workflow.
Version 0.1.0 introduces a streamlined, catalog-driven interface for Los Angeles Open Data, extending the open data ecosystem beyond New York to support cross-city analysis and comparative civic research.
The package provides three core functions:
la_list_datasets()— Browse available datasets from the live Los Angeles Open Data catalogla_pull_dataset()— Pull any cataloged dataset by key, with filtering, ordering, and optional date controlsla_any_dataset()— Pull any Los Angeles Open Data dataset directly via its Socrata JSON endpoint
Datasets pulled via la_pull_dataset() automatically apply sensible
defaults from the catalog (such as default ordering and date fields),
while still allowing user control over:
- limit
- filters
- date / from / to
- where
- order
- clean_names
- coerce_types
This redesign reduces maintenance burden, improves extensibility, and provides a more scalable interface for working with Los Angeles Open Data.
All functions return clean tibble outputs and support filtering
via
filters = list(field = "value").
devtools::install_github("martinezc1/laOpenData")library(laOpenData)
la_vacent_buildings <- la_pull_dataset(
dataset = "building_and_safety_vacant_building_abatement",
limit = 1000
)
head(la_vacent_buildings)
#> # A tibble: 6 × 10
#> address case_num cd inspector_name area building_type approved_use
#> <chr> <dbl> <dbl> <chr> <chr> <chr> <chr>
#> 1 749 S KOHLER ST 1045424 14 LUCIANO GAUNA II III COMMERCIAL
#> 2 11354 W RUNNYM… 1044681 2 GLEN RAND I ***** <NA>
#> 3 1346 W 5TH ST 924823 1 LUCIANO GAUNA II ***** COMMERCIAL
#> 4 11354 W RUNNYM… 1044681 2 GLEN RAND I ***** <NA>
#> 5 11354 W RUNNYM… 1044681 2 GLEN RAND I ***** <NA>
#> 6 2219 S CENTRAL… 1026127 9 LUCIANO GAUNA II ***** <NA>
#> # ℹ 3 more variables: assigned_to <chr>, building_size <chr>,
#> # abate_effective <dttm>laOpenData makes Los Angeles’s civic datasets accessible to
students,
educators, analysts, and researchers through a unified and user-friendly
R interface.
Developed to support reproducible research, open-data literacy, and real-world analysis.
While the RSocrata
package provides a general interface for any Socrata-backed portal,
laOpenData is specifically tailored for Los Angeles Open Data
Portal.
This package is part of a broader ecosystem of tools for working with open data:
nycOpenData— streamlined access to NYC Open DatanysOpenData— streamlined access to NY State Open DatamtaOpenData— streamlined access to MTA-related NY State Open DatachiOpenData— streamlined access to Chicago-related City Open Data
Together, these packages provide a consistent, user-friendly interface for working with civic data across jurisdictions.
- Ease of Use: No need to hunt for 4x4 dataset IDs (e.g.,
2ucp-7wg5); use catalog-based keys instead. - Open Literacy: Designed specifically for students and researchers to lower the barrier to entry for civic data analysis.
We welcome contributions! If you find a bug or would like to request a wrapper for a specific Los Angeles dataset, please open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.
Christian A. Martinez 📧 c.martinez0@outlook.com
GitHub: @martinezc1